


Looking Glass

by beautiful_as_endless



Series: The Life and Times of Team Hijo de Puta [3]
Category: Heneral Luna (2015)
Genre: F/M, I'm back indeed, mwahahaha, with a vengeance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-16
Updated: 2016-04-07
Packaged: 2018-05-20 21:39:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 30
Words: 60,130
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6026034
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/beautiful_as_endless/pseuds/beautiful_as_endless
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>He wasn't sure why he wanted to find the lost writings, not really. They were supposed to be buried in ashes, along with the shadowy haze of memories from the past. What exactly was he doing in the middle of this quest, risking his life for information that was better off hidden from the world, then?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Favorite Record

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Joven tries to hatch a plan

_He fifteen and young and happy._

_He had everything he needed - what his parents could not provide, they found a way to obtain. As the younger son of a mestizo member of the guardia civil and a wealthy businessman's daughter, he did not fully understand the oppression and the sorrow that went on in the world he lived in._

_His parents were disappointed in his passion for writing - of that he was sure. They supplied him with pen and paper, but he could hear them whispering behind his back at times. He knew that they prefered his brother, who had a martial inclination like his father. The entire family was quite aware that he would never make it to the guardia civil like his father and his uncle._

_Young though he may be, he was well aware that he was somewhat a disappointment to his family._

_His best friend, fourteen-year-old Angela Buencamino, was the only one who patiently listened to him whenever he spoke of his insecurities._

_"Hayaan mo na ang iniisip nila," she told him with a warm smile. "Hindi ka naman kahihiyan para sa akin. "Matalino ka, at alam kong mas malayo pa sa pagiging isang guardia civil ang iyong mararating."_

_She said it with so much conviction that it was so difficult not to believe her._

**Wednesday, 12-30-15, 2:00 PM, Brgy. Pulung Bulo**

Rizal Day.

If there was one holiday that had such a polarizing effect on Joven Hernando, it would be this one. He couldn't even explain the reason why the holiday annoyed him at times. It wasn't like it harmed him or anything, after all. There was just something oddly  _grating_ about the way that a great deal of people seem to have forgotten why it was celebrated - and not just because they forgot that it was not Rizal's _birthday_.

Well at least the day seemed peaceful enough. Everyone seemed to have been caught in the middle of some adventure or another over the last five months, and these small pockets of silence were so hard to come by lately. He decided to sit back and appreciate it instead of letting the misunderstood holiday get on his nerves.

Of course, it wasn't just the holiday itself that was bugging him that day - there was also the knowledge that his documents, his oldest papers, were still hidden away somewhere in Pangasinan instead of being destroyed as his then-brother claimed they were.

He knew that he would have enough time to look for those papers over their stay in Pangasinan, but he wondered if looking for them alone would be the right decision.

Maybe it was. It seemed like everyone else involved in their disappearance and supposed destruction were already dead - except for Goyong. Not that he wanted to throw the poor guy in the middle of some kind of turmoil yet again. The former general had been through too much already, and Joven didn't want to bring up unpleasant memories.

He padded down the stairs and to the living room, where most of his friends were assembled.

He knew he could trust them with the truth  _all the time,_ he didn't want to burden them with unnecessary trouble.  _Mas gugustuhin ko nang hanapin itong magisa kesa dumagdag pa sa mga problema niyo._

"Huy, ba't nagtatago ka diyan?" Jose Bernal called out, waving him over from the bay window. "Di ka naman namin kakainin."

He smiled back placidly and took his usual seat by the center table, setting down a couple of books that he was trying to read. Concentrating on them was too difficult, though. He had a lot of things running through his thoughts and none of them were pleasant.

Pangasinan was a large and unfamiliar province to him - he'd never been there before, and he was afraid that Goyong's map won't be too much help thanks to that. Just thinking of his old notes sent his skin crawling, as if their unpublished words also left a quiet ache in his heart.

Knowledge of the full truth never set him free.

**Wednesday, 12-30-15, 5:00 PM, Brgy. Pulung Bulo**

He found Jay in her room - still a mess of books and clothes and gaming consoles and sketchbooks and knives. The girl - no, she was a young woman now - was lying on her bed, twirling a knife with her left hand, no fear etched upon her face despite the fact that she could drop the knife or slice her fingers with it at any time.

He still couldn't believe that she and Goyong were a legitimate item now, despite the fact that he already gave them his blessing. To him, his sister was still the child who always got in trouble in school for beating up the class bullies.

She looked up as she noticed his presence, an unreadable glint in her dark eyes. She smiled at him as she always did and sat up. "Anong ginagawa mo dito, Kuya?" she asked cheerily. She never stopped spinning the knife. "Akala ko pa naman busy kayong mga guys sa sala."

Joven sighed and motioned to the beanbag by her bed. "Pwede ba...?"

"Bakit nagpapaalam ka pa?" she countered with a raise of her eyebrow. She turned away and flung the knife to the middle of the small target across the room. She hadn't always been that dangerous - not as Poleng, not as Jay. She changed radically since she nearly lost her life to their own mother... and it was a good thing.  _"Ika talaga ne?" Ikaw talaga no?_

He smiled and sat on the beanbag, leaning back and relaxing.  _"Mawala ku mu sagli kapag minta tamu Pangasinan." Mawawala lang ako sandali kapag pumunta tayo ng Pangasinan._

"Ano, may kailangan ka din bang hanapin dun? Soul searching gaya ni Kuya Ed?" she asked calmly, as if such potentially dangerous - probably illegal -and definitely life altering quests were normal for everyone. "Anong adventure yan? Sasama ba ako?"

"Hindi na kailangan. Kukunin ko lang naman yung mga lumang documents ko." As much as he would have loved to, he had an odd feeling that this was a quest that he had to undertake alone - or if he had to take someone with him, it would be someone outside of the team. He didn't understood it completely either but he knew enough to trust his instincts already.  _"Agyu kune ini."_ _Kaya ko na ito._

Of course, saying that he could do it did not mean that it would be as simple as visiting some random building and grabbing some ancient notes that were lying around. Nothing was ever easy for Team Hijo de Puta. Even Rusca's simple plan to find Nena's tomb entailed a lot of digging and hiking and culminated in a brief scuffle with some mysterious assailant.

Jay raised an eyebrow, as if she couldn't believe what he was saying. "Alam kong may background ka sa self defense pero sigurado ka ba diyan?" She reached out to grab a knife hidden on one of her bed's legs and tossed it right at her target too.

He smiled back at her. "Siguradong sigurado."

He was right, in a way.

She leaned forward, yet  _another knife_ in hand. She handed it to him and closed his fist around its cold, metal hilt. "Siguraduhin mo din na kaya mong protektahan sarili mo. Narinig ko yung nangyari kina Kuya Ed sa Zambales. Lagot na lagot ka sakin pag may nangyari sayo."

"Syempre. Ikaw talaga. Hindi naman ako reckless na tao." He always thought out everything before he moved into action. He knew that thinking and planning too much actually brought him to his ruin before, but he couldn't help it. It was part of his nature already.  _"Eka migaganaka." Wag kang magaalala._

He kept his sister's knife.  _Better safe than sorry._

**Wednesday, 12-30-15, 6:00 PM, Brgy. Pulung Bulo**

He thought that staying in his room would give him a moment of silence. Of course, in a house as large as crowded as theirs, he had to anticipate being bugged regularly. He just didn't expect Goyong to come bursting in without at least knocking, though.

"Sigurado ka ba talaga na ayaw mo akong isama? Pwede naman kitang gabayan papunta dun sa pinagtaguan ko," the latter began. There was a genuine look of worry in his eyes. He rubbed his ruined chest uncomfortably. "Nararamdaman ko na may anino nanamang umaaligid sa atin."

Joven had to nod and give him his most reassuring smile. "Sure na ako, ikaw talaga. Hindi naman ata ako kagaya niyo na sobrang visible sa radar dahil historic kayo. Simpleng writer lang ako."

"Writer na may tinatagong first hand info tungkol sa mga ibang bagay na nangyari noong giyera," Goyong pressed on. "Alam kong ipinapasunog ng Senyor Presidente yung mga documents mo dahil alam niyang malapit mo nang masiwalat lahat ng katotohanan noon. Mga krimen namin. Kung may mga iba pang buhay na katulad ko, katulad niyo, baka ayaw niyang mahalungkat yan."

"Hindi pa ako tapos busisiin ang katotohanan sa mga ginawa mo," Joven said quietly. He knew that Goyong from the war was a monster. But he faced his future brother in law now - a mischievous and oftentimes reckless man, but otherwise likeable. "Pag nakuha ko ang mga yun, may final interview pa tayo."

Goyong seemed resigned to his friend's decision. "Talagang gusto mong hanapin magisa yung mga yan, ano?" His shoulders drooped. "Hindi kita pipigilan. At sasabihin ko ang lahat sayo. Pero sabihin mo din sa akin kung anong nangyari kay Poleng."

"Patay na si Poleng. Matagal na. Akala ko alam mo yun." Joven frowned. He knew that the other man loved Jay for who she was in the present, not for being Poleng of the past. Besides, he never did find out what happened to his then-cousin.

Goyong raised his hand to his throat, as if recalling the bullet that ripped through it. "Kailangan ko lang malaman kung anong pinagdaanan niya," he said quietly. He smiled. "Hindi para sakin to. Para kay Jay.

 _Closure. Yan lahat ang hanap natin, diba?_ "Hindi ko din nakuhang malaman kung anong nangyari sakanya, sa totoo lang." He cut off his ties to his blood family before he could ever find out. "Pasensya na."

Goyong nodded thoughtfully. A muted sort of shadow flickered in his eyes. "Naiintindihan ko."

"I know." Joven said with a small nod. That's why their team was formed in the first place. It was more than fire forged friendship. The similarity in their predicaments - including the matter of reincarnation - made them connect to each other.

At least it was a good thing most of the time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> YES I'M BACK AND YES SI JOVEN NA ANG AARIBA VICTORY DANCE NA BA DIS?


	2. The Show

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Joven ponders on things that have been and things that could be.

_It was a rainy Sunday morning, and the church was jampacked with parishioners who were there both for the friar's sermon and shelter from the downpour. The local town gossips were clucking like hens behind his family._

_"Nabalitaan mo na ba?" the butcher's wife whispered. "Nanganak na si Felisa Martinez. Hindi daw kamukha ng ama ang bata - isa siyang mestiza."_

_The tailor's sister sighed. "Ayaw naman kasi nilang maniwala na nagkikita sila ng sacristan mayor kapag wala ang asawa niya."_

_There was a low murmur of agreement among the women while Joven saw his father cringing in disgust. Fortunately - or was that unfortunately? - the conversation was cut off as the church bells began to toll, signaling the start of mass._

_A new parish priest stood at the pulpit - a tall, Spanish man with a hooked nose. He clapped his hands to silence the church and began the mass. Everything went smoothly - until Padre Nicolas began his sermon. It wasn't even an actual sermon, but a rant against the existence of the natives - the indios... leaving the mostly native population thunderstruck._

**Thursday, 12-31-15, 8:00 AM, Brgy. Pulung Bulo**

The smell of sulfur already lingered in the air despite the early hour. The team basically had to keep Nonong indoors as it seemed like he was allergic to it.

Meanwhile, Joven found himself in the basement yet again. He wasn't sure why he always felt the pull of the place - it was a mess of old dusty boxes and cobwebs and piles of junk from the five generations of his family that lived in the house. There was this odd feeling that it held so much secrets that the past generations of Hernandos tried to conceal.

_Merong nakatago dito para kay Goyong at kay Ed. Meron din bang nakalaan dito para sa akin?_

He found himself sitting beside a small box marked  _del Rosario collection, 1970._ He frowned, trying to recall why the family name sounded more than familiar. It was a common name in Angeles but there was something about it that just rang a bell.

He couldn't avert his eyes - as if the box was too important for him to ignore. He picked it up and set it on a small wooden table that he set by the entrance shortly before he discovered Luna's old flag in the basement. He picked up the small brush that was lying around and used it to dust the box, sneezing thrice in succession.

He peeled off the crumbling duct tape that sealed it, and opened it to reveal a few objects - the most striking which was an ornate wooden jewelry box adorned with metal filigree forming swirling patterns of vines. There was also one ornate dagger with a blade that looked like it was made of the purest silver, the tip of the pommel decorated with a black crystal. Letters in  _baybayin_ ran down the length of the slim blade, but unfortunately he hadn't studied those yet.

There was also a piece of crisp, old paper detailing an old, European auction receipt for some surviving work by someone called Tina del Rosario. The old owner was apparently a collector named Paul Ridel. The receipt detailed the dagger and a jewelry box containing five pairs of earrings, seven rings, and ten pendants.

His eyes flickered to the dagger again, wondering why it would be sold with a jewelry set. He frowned, wondering it was so familiar. And then it hit him - it resembled the three knives that could harm a doppleganger.

_Walang coincidence para sa members ng Team Hijo de Puta._

There could be another one lurking around the city.

**Wednesday, 12-31-15, 9:00 AM, Brgy. Pulung Bulo**

He decided to reveal his findings to the rest of the team. He knew that he was still a bit dusty and cobwebs clung to his hair, but his blood was racing with his discovery.

Their otherwise sleepy morning was blown away by the name of the creator or original owner of the box -  _Cristina del Rosario._

"Girlfriend yan ni Kuya Julian noong giyera - balita ko nagkatuluyan din sila." Goyong winced, as if recalling something particularly unpleasant. "Nareincarnate din siya."

Rusca nodded, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. "Nakakatakot, pretty, parang tatagain ka kapag ginalit mo."

Goyong nodded. "Mismo." He reached out for the jewelry box and opened it, inspecting the intricately made pieces with a careful hand. "Anak - at apprentice - siya ng panday pero ang alam ko gumagawa din sila ng alahas. Mayaman na pamilya, laging nasa ibang bansa."

Joven nodded thoughtfully. That could be the reason why her work managed to end up somewhere in Europe, then. "Hindi coincidence to," he mused.

"Hindi nga." A small frown creased Manuel's face. "Baka importante siya sa mga hahanapin mo sa Pangasinan."

Joven nodded, lost in thought. His eyes flickered to the dagger again and he picked it up. "Eh ito?" he asked. "Tingin mo gawa din niya? Kasama sa resibo oh."

Goyong reached out to check it out - then froze. "Holy shit."

"Ang lutong naman nun, Heneral," Vince noted with a small wince. "Anong problema?"

Goyong exchanged glances with Jay, then Rusca. "Kamukha nung mga galing sa Supremo."

Joven nodded grimly. "Ganun na nga. Hindi ako marunong magbasa ng baybayin eh, kaya hindi ko rin alam anong pangalan nito."

Etong glanced around the room then took the dagger, scrutinizing it with his dark eyes, a small frown on his face. _"Uling?"_

He passed it to Jose, who nodded to confirm it. "Oo pre. Shit, may isa pa palang ganito, ano?"

Paco shuddered as he touched the weapon nervously. "Ganito ba yung mga kutsilyong nakakapatay ng anino?"

"Mismo." Goyong rubbed his arms uncomfortably. "Ito ba yung bumaril kay Kuya Julian? Tangina hindi ko man makamusta, ayaw niyong ibigay yung number niya!"

"Sa tamang panahon daw," Rusca said placidly.

Nonong drummed his fingers on the center table nervously. He was one of those who actually met Andres Bonifacio's doppleganger, though it was just a brief encounter. "Possible. Baka sign yung kutsilyong yan ah."

Manuel stared at Joven straight in the eye. "Sigurado ka pa ba sa binabalak mo sa Pangasinan?" he asked.

"Siyempre." Joven was afraid of how solemn his voice came out - as if he were sealing his own doom by his choice. "We all have to face our past - at ito siguro ang kailangan kong isara."

Something bothered him - the fact that all his memories were intact except for most of the information that remained hidden in his oldest documents, and the real reason that President Aguinaldo wanted to have them burned.

**Thursday, 12-31-15, 11:50 PM, Brgy. Pulung Bulo**

A new year. They were expecting a new year to be born in ten minutes. He felt the hair on the back of his neck and on his arms prickling, making him feel uncomfortable.

It wasn't just the excitement of the coming year - they would be heading to Pangasinan on the second and it felt like hurtling into an abyss. He was starting to second guess his decision but something kept telling him that it was the right thing to do. The most important lesson he learned in his previous life was that acting too impulsively ended up causing him a great deal of trouble - and yet there he was, blindly trusting his instincts to go to Pangasinan despite the rest of his mind telling him not to.

_Ang tanga mo, Jovenito._

He nearly jumped out of his skin when Paco sat down beside him, a pensive look on his face. Neither of them talked, merely sat silently on the bay window, gazing at the fireworks outside.

"Ano ba sa tingin mo yung mangyayari pagdating mo sa Pangasinan?" Paco finally asked, breaking the silence. "Pwera sa mahahanap mo yung mga dating sinulat mo?"

It took Joven a while to gather his thoughts and answer. "Sa tingin ko may malaking peligro din dun. Pero importante kasi eh - nandoon din yung sagot sa mga maliliit na bagay na hindi ko maalala."

"Closure, ano?" Paco smiled sadly.

"Ganun na nga." Joven looked down. The former colonel had always been kind to him, even during the war, and he appreciated that. "Ikaw din ba?"

"Parang ganun na din." Paco shook his head. "Ayos lang naman ako. Magiging closure na siguro ang pagpropose ng kasal sakanya."

Joven grinned. "Ni hindi mo pa nga siya pinapakilala sa amin eh!"

Paco laughed and patted him on the shoulder. "Pupunta naman siya dito minsan, wala pa bang nagsabi sayo?"

He heard so much about Juliana Picqueras both from the past and in the present era. "Wala pa eh."

Paco grinned. "Sigurado akong magkakasundo kayo."

**Friday, 01-01-16, 8:45 AM, Brgy. Pulung Bulo**

Despite the fact that they slept well past midnight, he was jolted awake by the ray of sunlight that fell upon his face. Though he knew he would never be able to go back to sleep despite the fact that his body still needed it, he was not getting up without some kind of resistance. Resistance in this case meant letting out a zombie-like groan and futile attempts to fall asleep.

A small bustle of activity was already ongoing downstairs, with Manuel Bernal furiously waxing the dining room floor and Etong Enriquez taking care of breakfast.

Both of them looked up as he stumbled down the stairs.

"Ang aga mong nagising ah," Manuel said with an amused look in his face. "Akala ko hapon pa yung bangon mo."

"Hindi naman ako ganun." Joven reached the bottom of the stairs and stretched languidly. "Saka maaga din naman kayong nagising ah."

Manuel shrugged. "Nakasanayan na."

He eventually found himself sitting by the bay window again, eyes flickering back to the auction receipt that was lying on the center table. The name ran over and over in his head -  _Cristina del Rosario._

Then it clicked.

She was the woman he interviewed in 1913 while he searching for Julian del Pilar - she was Julian's _wife,_ as a matter of fact. Neither of them ever learned of the man's fate, as much as he was aware of. He closed his eyes, wondering why her name came up now, of all days. Was she going to be important to his trip in Pangasinan? Should he seek out the present Julian del Pilar? Was he just overthinking things?

There was one thing he was sure - the name, the dagger, the jewelry, they were all going to play an important part soon. And he had a feeling that the collector who auctioned them off -  _Paul Ridel -_ would pop up one way or another.

**Bonus:**

**Friday, 01-01-16, 5:00 PM, Brgy. Pulung Bulo**

Goyong was surprised when Jose Bernal asked to speak with him in private - or at least something close enough to it. The two of them ended up in the terrace, which was thanfully empty as everyone was downstairs, still celebrating the arrival of the new year. The neighbors' singing could be heard in the short distance, making Goyong cringe.

"Pasensya na," Jose started quickly. "Ano, ikaw kasi yung kasama ko nung pumunta tayo sa libingan ko, hindi ba?"

He nodded with a wince, remembering the fact that Andres Bonifacio actually managed to knock the two of them out during that night. "Bakit, balak mo bang mag-Tomb Raider ulit? Nainggit ka kay Ruscababes?"

Jose shook his head. He handed a large, faded picture to Goyong - the picture of a grave being exhumed. Notes on the back indicated that it was Jose's. There was also a lettet that accompanied it, matching the riddle that they once solved.

"Sino si  _P_ at bakit pinapabalik ka niya dun?" Goyong finally asked.

Jose shrugged. "Yun nga eh. Alam kong maaga yung alis natin bukas pero gusto ko sanang tignan to bago tayo lumarga. Ayos lang ba sayo?"

Goyong nodded, a mischievous grin on his face. He hadn't recovered his stamina yet after his near-death experience - it was a long process due to the extensive injuries - and he claimed that he had his fill of adventures, but he knew that he could never say  _no_ to his friends - especially after everything he's done and everything they've gone through.

**Saturday, 01-02-16, 5:30 AM, Holy Rosary Parish Church**

They snuck into the catacombs at three in the morning. He was aware that they would barely have time to muck around as they weren't able to sneak in on time, and Jose also mentioned that he wanted to locate the secret passage that Andres used to move around.

It took them half an hour to stumble through the church catacombs and locate Jose's apparent grave for the second time around. If the photo that Jose had was to be believed though, it was now empty - though Jose still seemed to feel some sort of connection to it.

Nothing seemed to have changed since the last time they broke into the catacombs - or so it seemed at first. There were now two shovels resting against the wall, and some bricks on the northern end of the hall were removed to reveal a secret passage.

"Walang coincidence," Goyong murmured under his breath.  _Putangina, walang wala._

Jose nodded solemnly. "Pwede pa naman akong bumalik dito. Tignan muna natin yung daanan na yun?"

It could have been a trap - he knew it could have been. But his sense of adventure and curiosity overtook his good senses, and he nodded like the idiot that he was.  _Alam na this. Greggyboy, tanga ka pero... adventure!_

He led the way in, penlight lighting the way. They walked through passage after passage for what felt like hours, backtracking whenever they reached apparent dead ends. They eventually found their way out, crawling through a small opening in between the newly-builed chapel at the back of the church, and the church itself.

The city was slowly waking up and luckily the duo were dressed to look like morning joggers.

"Mauna ako, tapos sunod ka para hindi masyadong weird," Goyong hissed.

Jose nodded. "Wala naman sigurong mananaga satin dito," he said nervously.

Goyong just grinned and slipped out- right in front of a mugging scene. The mugger held a knife close to his victim's neck, while the victim's face was mostly concealed by his cap's visor and the shadow of the administration office's walls. 

Goyong strode to the two men, his instinct to protect people awakening yet again. Before anyone knew better, he forcefully yanked the mugger away and shoved him to the pavement. He was about to ask if the man was okay when burning pain bloomed from his stitches. It seemed like the exertion wasn't good for him. He doubled over and clutched his chest, wheezing.

The mugger was up, and shoved his knife into the back of Goyong's neck, right over his old scar, and through his throat.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes! Mahabang chapter na may bonus pa! Every now and then magkakaroon na tayo ng mga bonus chapter, pang teaser na din sa magiging adventure ng mga ibang members ng Team Hijo de Puta. Hihi. Labyu guys.


	3. Heroes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Joven fights off his paranoia.

_He always appreciated his favorite cousin._

_Paulina - or Poleng as she preferred to be called - was about a year younger than him - tall, lovely, intelligent. She was the only daughter of his father's eldest brother who resided in Bulacan, and her presence during family visits made such affairs less tedious._

_She never laughed at his interest in writing. As a matter of fact, she seemed quite fascinated by it._

_"Pangarap mo bang maging isang manunulat balang araw?" she asked._

_He just shrugged and looked down at the journal he was writing. "Hindi naman papayag ang ama ko. Sigurado akong mas gugustuhin niyang sumali ako sa mga guardia civil tulad ni Kuya Lorenzo at ng mga ama natin." He fought back a cringe as he remembered the way his brother has fully embraced the life as a member of the guardia civil, including their excesses and abuse and discrimination._

_Her lips twitched. "At ito ba ang buhay na gugustuhin mo, Kuya Joven? Sigurado akong alam mo na ang pangaalipustang ginagawa ng karamihan sakanila."_

_He was stunned to silence by her armor piercing question. "Hindi ko ikaliligaya ang ganoong buhay. Hindi ako kagaya ng karamihan sakanila na ginagamit ang posisyon upang maalipusta ang kanilang mga kababayan."_

* * *

_He loved seeing Angela smile, the way her features lit up when she did._

_At first he contented himself with giving her flowers from his mother's garden. She adored them and thanked him profusely whenever he did, and it was impossible not to mirror her lovely smile._

_She was light and warmth and joy and radiance, and at times he found that he couldn't tear his eyes away from her._

_"Hindi ko maintindihan kapag minsan kung bakit binibigyan mo ako ng mga bulaklak," she murmured once, when he joined her on her favorite garden swing._

_He didn't understand why he wanted to do such a thing either, aside from the fact that doing so made her smile. "Bakit, gusto mo bang gawan na lamang kita ng tula?" he asked.  
_

_Her laughter was like the soft rush of a gentle, bubbling river, like the breath of wind making the leaves and the grass sway. She leaned forward, her dark eyes catching his gaze and making his breath stop. "Tatanggapin ko, kahit anong klaseng regalo pa ang ibigay mo sa akin."_

* * *

**Friday, 01-01-16, 5:00 PM, Brgy. Pulung Bulo**

He sat on his favorite cushion in the living room, eyes trained on his laptop. He was researching the name  _Paul Ridel,_ wondering if that name would also come up at a later time. Even entering the right keywords in the search engines didn't help him, though. It seemed like there wasn't much information about the man, aside from the fact that he was of unknown nationality, and was only known for that one highly successful charity auction in 1970.

The suspicion that the name was just an alias suddenly struck him. Even the auction struck him as odd, for some reason that he couldn't point out. He rubbed his temples, trying to sort out his thoughts, but not even that provided him with any ideas.

He didn't notice Jay sitting down beside him until she started to talk. "Ayan ka nanaman, nagpapastress," she said with a grin.

He shrugged. "Parang importante itong Paul Ridel na ito eh," he explained.  _"Ali ku rin balung sabyan pero balamu kailangan keng panintunan."_ _Hindi ko rin alam sabihin pero parang kailangan ko siyang hanapin._

She watched him with a small smile curling up on her lips. "Sa tingin mo ba buhay pa siya? At may alam tungkol sayo?"

"Parang ganun na nga." He stared at his laptop screen, wondering if he would cross paths with the man by chance or if he would end up having to locate him for some reason or another. "Mahirap iexplain, pasensya na."

She gingerly picked up the receipt lying between them and read it, a small frown on her face. "Alam mo bang nakilala ko si Ate Tina nung ako pa si Poleng?"

His sister's word caught his attention. "Dahil ba kay Goyong to?" He grabbed his notepad and turned to her, the laptop and research ignored for the time being. "Anong alam mo tungkol sakanya?"

"Ikaw, ano bang alam mo?" Jay shot back. She averted her eyes and flicked her pullover's sleeves, procuring a small knife.

Joven shrugged. "Mahabang kwento, pero nakilala ko siya dahil hinahanap ko yung asawa niya - si Julian del Pilar. Pero nawala pala si Julian noon at walang may alam hanggang ngayon kung anong nangyari sakanya. Mabait naman, medyo intimidating nga lang. Sobrang  _determined_ na magsurvive yung pamilya niya kahit na nawawala yung asawa niya."

Jay smiled at that. "Ganun talaga siya, medyo nakakatakot pero approachable naman at mabait deep inside." She paused, flipped her knife, and hid it up her sleeve again. "Nung dumadalaw sakin si Goyong noon, pag minsan kasama niya silang dalawa ni Kuya Julian."

His eyes flicked back to the laptop screen. "Ano kayang kinalaman niya sa Paul Ridel na to?"  _May connection sila, sigurado ako. Sa tingin ko hindi nila anak o apo itong Paul na ito pero may something talaga. At may kinalaman yung isa sakanila sa mga nawawalang drafts ko._ He had a feeling that his quest wasn't as simple as following Goyong's directions to Manaoag, Pangasinan.

Nothing was ever simple. That was a lesson he learned the hard and nasty way in his previous life.

**Friday, 01-01-16, 8:00 PM, Brgy. Pulung Bulo**

It was just after dinner, and he still felt wide awake despite the fact that the rest of the team seemed to be lulled into a sleepy state of calmness. His eyes were trained on the laptop again, trying to research on Cristina del Rosario's works. There was barely any online information about them too, aside from the fact that some of them cropped up in high class auctions every now and then.

Rusca peered over his shoulder to look at his research, smelling like flour and sugar like always. "Brad, alam mo, sana pala kinuha ko yung number niya nung nilibre namin siya ng kape ni bebelabs."

He just shrugged. "Baka wala naman siyang maalala eh."

"May point ka." Rusca made a face.  _"Nanu keng lawe mu? Atin yang balu kareng anino?"_ _Ano sa tingin mo? May alam siya sa mga anino?_

 _"Ali ku balu." Di ko alam._ Joven made a face. Just the mere mention of those unnatural creatures - born of a dying person's regrets and negative emotions - sent him shuddering uncontrollably. "Sa tingin mo ba anino din yung nakita niyo sa Zambales?"

It took a while before Rusca replied. It seemed like he was trying to assess his memories first. "Parang anino nga." He scratched his head with a good natured smile, though the unease was still visible through it. "May naramdaman ako nung nagumpisa kaming umakyat sa bundok nun eh."

Joven closed his eyes, wondering who they could be facing this time. Some of them encountered Andres Bonifacio's doppleganger - the murderer who terrorized Angeles for a few months.

_Sana napapraning lang ako._

**Bonus**

**Saturday, 01-02-16, 5:45 AM, Holy Rosary Parish Church**

Goyong couldn't breathe. In a brief moment of panic, he remembered that the knife went through the entry and exit points of that bullet that  _should_ have killed him in Tirad Pass. Then he recalled the fact that he tried recreating the wound multiple times and yet it never killed him. Bolstered by this, he whirled around, knife still stuck in his neck, and whacked the mugger with his fist.

"Tangina mo," he rasped, pulling out the knife and tossing it aside. He coughed up a clump of blood and wiped it off. He could feel the wound tingle as it began to heal.

The mugger's eyes widened in surprise as he realized that Goyong was still standing and had no plans of curling up to die. He was about to run and scream in terror when Goyong sighed and knocked him out with a well placed punch. He turned around to face the mugger's victim - and his jaw dropped.

_Kuya Julian._

Julian was around his age now, still tall and stoic, his sideburns still as prominent as ever. His eyes were wide in surprise. "G-Gregorio?"

Goyong nodded cheerfully, raising a hand to his throat to make sure that his wound was closing already. "Long time no see, Kuya!" Well, what should one say to his one time brother and currently possibly just a distant relative?

Julian raised a hand to his throat, then to Goyong's wound. "A-Ano... pano...?"

Goyong's grin widened. He was half excited and half afraid of the moment that he would face Julian after over a hundred years of solitude. "Mahabang kwento eh." He bent over, wheezing again. Actions that were as simple as walking around and beating up people now demanded so much stamina from him. He still had a long way to go before he recovered from his extensive injuries.

"Uy, ayos ka lang?" Julian seemed too hesitant to move a muscle.

He nodded, though he couldn't speak for a while. When he finally straightened up, he was glad to realize that the wound on his neck finally healed. "Pasensya na, naoperahan kasi ako nung minsan."  _Anniversary ng Tirad pa mismo, akalain mo nga naman._ "Kuya, sandali lang ha? Tignan ko lang si Jose kung ayos pa siya."

He found Jose Bernal still crouched by the secret passage. "Huy, tara na."

"Ba't may dugo ka sa leeg?" Jose's eyes narrowed in concern.

Goyong just grinned. He whipped out a small towel from his backpack and used it to wipe his neck. "Wala, ayos na ako pre."

They ended up walking all the way to Pulung Bulo with Julian, explaining everything that happened to a certain boy general since the second of December, 1899.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi, sorry at medyo mabagal po yung pacing! Balik na tayo sa adventure at katatawanan next chapter ft Team HDP and special guests sa Pangasinan!


	4. It's Time

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Joven jumpstarts his quest

_He never gave much thought about marriage. He didn't come from a wealthy family in the first place, and besides, he was a second son. Second sons barely inherited anything, if at all. He did know that his parents were still expecting him to join the guardia civil once he turned twenty one, of course._

_It was what was expected of a dutiful son - to fulfill his parents' dreams for him._

_Neither of his parents pressured him yet. He was all of seventeen, after all, and learning more and more about the power of words from one of the well-read  men in town. He was sure that it was a matter of time before his family stopped humoring him and started to pressure him into joining the guardia civil, and he wanted to find a way out of it. He was not a man of violence, and he knew as young as he was that well chosen words would be his weapon._

_Whispers of revolution have lingered in the air for months and months and yet he knew that he would be able to do anything to join them. He had already been made aware of the abuses done to his countrymen, thanks to the education he had started receiving, but he knew that he wouldn't be able to do anything about it. His family benefitted so much from the current regime, and they would prevent him from taking any kind of action should they hear of him joining the revolution in any capacity._

_His family was visiting Poleng's when he first met the young man from Ateneo that was wooing his cousin. Gregorio del Pilar seemed pleasant enough, though Joven's aunt and uncle seemed to disapprove of him - not just because he did not come from a wealthy or influential family, but because it seemed like he was related to known firebrands who might have something to do with the rumored rebellion._

_Poleng had nothing but good things to say about him, though. "Matalino siya, magaling gumuhit," she said. "Alam kong mahal niya ako at kaya niyang panindigan iyon."_

_"At kung tunay ngang kasapi siya ng mga nag-aaklas?" Joven pressed on. He loved his cousin like a sister, and it wouldn't do her well if she ended up married to someone who would most likely become a fugitive or a criminal in the coming years. "Paano niya paninindigan ang mga salita niya sa iyo?"_

_She merely laughed. "Joven, huwag kang mag-alala sa amin."_

_Worry he did. He didn't trust the del Pilar boy who was a handful of years older than him._

**Saturday, 01-02-16, 6:00 AM, Brgy. Pulung Bulo**

They have almost turned the house upside down and yet they still couldn't find Jose or Goyong anywhere. Joven couldn't help but feel worried, as there was still the lingering sense of something dark and unfriendly that was lurking around the city. No one knew where the two went, since they were still in the house late the previous night. They could have snuck out - yes, that was true - but Joven could think of no good reason for the two of them to do so... unless they returned to Jose's grave under the church.

Even Ka Andres, who was to join them for their outing, attempted to call the two. Neither answered, though their phones were ringing so that must have been a good thing.

Manuel paced by the main door, phone in hand. "Napano kaya yung dalawang yun? May problema ba sila?"

Paco was the only one who seemed quite calm. "Sigurado akong ayos lang sila. Kaya na nila yung mga sarili nila. Baka may kailangan lang silang asikasuhin or something."

"Sana naman nagpaalam sila," Jay said sullenly. She was perched beside the bay window, eyes trained on the street right outside the house.

As if on cue, a tricycle pulled up right in front of the gate. The person on the backride was obviously Jose, looking sleepless but otherwise unharmed. The other two passengers were Goyong himself - who was wearing a plain black hoodie over what looked like a bloodstained shirt - and that man who visited the cafe a few days back... Julian del Pilar himself.

Joven never knew what to think of Julian. He was polite and nice enough, even during the war. He and Vicente Enriquez always kept him company during his days as a captive of the del Pilar brigade. On the other hand, Julian was there during Manuel Bernal's torture and murder. Then again, Goyong was involved in the same crimes and more, and yet he turned out as a fairly decent man in the present day despite not having gone through reincarnation like the rest of them.

 _Sabi nga nila, war changes all of us._ Curiosity still burned through Joven though, making him wonder just what his friends were up to.

Manuel stalked out of the house and met them by the gate. "Anong kalokohan nanaman inabot niyo?"

Julian froze upon seeing Manuel. His face went white and he took a step back. His eyes flickered to the rest of the team, who watched him with mild curiosity. Recognition flickered on the Enriquez brothers' faces, followed by Jay.

"Save your breath kung hihingi ka man ng tawad," Manuel said quietly. "Hindi yan ang hinihingi namin ngayon."

Goyong opened his mouth, as if to defend the man who was once his brother, but Jose held out his hand to silence him.  _Wow bro. You've got balls._ "Hinila ko si Goyong para bumalik kami sa libingan ko," he began.

He launched into a story regarding a letter he received from someone who just signed himself with a singler letter -  _P -_ and how it advised him to take Goyong back to the grave. Nothing came up from the trip aside from discovering some secret passages and ending up in the middle of a mugging incident.

"So ayun, nakita namin si Kuya Julian - ay teka hindi na pala siya kuya ngayon - eh nakakahiya namang hindi magpaliwanag," he finished with a sheepish grin.

Goyong nodded in agreement. He took off his hoodie, displaying the blood around his neck. "Well, at least napatunayan naming hindi anino yung nakasapakan ko."

"Sana naman kasi nagpaalam kayo, gago," Jay said, marching straight toward Goyong and landing a punch on his face.

The boy general didn't even respond in any angry or upset way. He simply gave her a bemused smile and pinched her cheek. "Pasensya na bhe, super secret mission kasi ang peg namin."

Julian smiled. "Ah, pasensya na k-kung nakaabala pa ako. Mauna naa ko ah?" he said.

"Ayaw mo nang makialmusal?" Jose asked with a small frown.

The other man mumbled some excuses before slipping out of the gate and giving them a quick wave.

Yes, Joven was sure that Julian del Pilar felt more than guilt for all the crimes he commited over the course of the war.

**Saturday, 01-02-16, 6:30 AM, Mabalacat City, Pampanga**

Of course, he ended up driving one of the cars that they were using for their trip. He was barely better than a student driver but Rusca insisted that he drove "for experience."

It wasn't really that bad, as he would be simply following Andres and Manuel by the time they headed out of unfamiliar territory and into Tarlac. His passengers weren't that terrible either as he ended up with Jay, Rusca, and Goyong - the original four members of the team.

Jay seemed uneasy about crossing the border between Mabalacat, Pampanga and Bamban, Tarlac. "Hindi ko alam bakit ang sama ng pakiramdam ko pag iniisip ko yung Tarlac," she mused.

Goyong held her tight. "Andito kami, ha? Kaming bahala diyan."

Joven could see it from his rearview mirror, and he felt his stomach clench.  _Nandito din kaya si Angela? Kamusta na kaya siya ngayon?_ He knew they had so many things left unsaid when he ran away all those years ago. He hoped that there would be time for him to look for her and maybe try to fix things somehow.

His eyes fell on the dagger lying across his lap. Despite his knowledge in self-defense, he knew that he was no fighter - unlike even the meekest member of the team, Paco. Was he supposed to deliver the weapon to someone who could better kill another lurking doppleganger?

**Saturday, 01-02-16, 8:45 AM, Tarlac City, Tarlac**

They ended up eating on a nearby Jollibee outlet. It was fairly spacious due to the early hour, though there was a woman reading a newspaper in one corner.

Throughout the meal, Joven's eyes kept wandering to the woman half-concealed by the newspaper. She didn't seem familiar, with her vivid, colorful hair that was mostly purple and streaked with other hues. Goyong seemed to be following his gaze, and a small grin formed on his lips.

"Ah, si Ate Tina yan," he hissed. "Baka may dinedeliver na... something dito."

Joven blinked, trying to take a better look at the woman's face. Dyed hair aside, she did look like Cristina del Rosario of 1913, minus at least a good fifteen to sixteen years or so.

It felt like a jolt of electricity ran down his spine.  _Cristina del Rosario. Kung nandito ka, ibig sabihin ba talaga may kinalaman ka sa kailangan kong gawin sa Pangasinan?_

Goosebumps ran along the length of his arms as he looked away. Nothing was  _ever_ a coincidence. They will bump into each other again, and if he ran out of luck, it would be under highly unpleasant circumstances.

_Anong kinalaman mo kay Paul Ridel at sa akin?_

"Bro, namumutla ka. Ayos ka lang ba?" Rusca asked, setting aside his small paper bag filled with freshly baked ensaymada from a nearby bakery. "Nabitin ka ba sa almusal?"

"A-Ayos lang ako," he stammered, sipping the last few drops of coffee from his cup.  _Medyo kinakabahan lang na pupunta akong Manaoag ng magisa, pero ayos na ayos lang, Dios mio._

"Ba't kasi di mo pa kami isama?" Manuel asked from the other side of the table. "Baka may delikadong naghihintay sayo sa Manaoag kaya may nahanap kang panlaban sa anino."

His throat constricted. "Kailangan kong gawing magisa to - or at least magumpisang magisa. Pasensya na." And there was also that quiet feeling deep in his heart that he wanted to prove something to everyone, most of all to himself. He wanted to prove that he was actually capable of doing something, even if he was not as combat oriented as his sister or the rest of the team.

He wasn't the weak willed boy from before, who let himself be snowballed from one bad situation to another because he had no courage to stand up for himself. This time, no one will be able to take him down without any resistance. He wouldn't be afraid to defy anyone again if necessary.

He wasn't just some scared, frail journalist anymore.

He was Joven Hernando, fifth of his name, and he wouldn't run away from destiny like the others who bore the name before him. He would fully embrace it and will hold his ground against all the trouble that it would throw at his face.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi! ODK medyo natagalan pero here we go! Ariba ariba na sa Pangasinan!


	5. Golden Days

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Joven gives himself one day of rest before beginning his quest.

_When the revolution finally broke out, his father and brother were called to join the ranks of the Spanish army. He would have been forced to join too, if it weren't for the fact that his mother claimed that she needed someone to stay with her in such troubled times - never mind the fact that he did not approve of the abuses inflicted by the current regime, either. As much as he was tempted to join the rebellion though, he was no fighter and being labelled as a firebrand may put his family in jeopardy. Besides, joining the rebellion would mean that he would eventually be forced to go against his own family if he lived long enough._

_He blamed himself for being a coward. He told Angela of his fears - he couldn't talk to Poleng anymore as she was so suddenly married off to a businessman fro Tarlac - and she merely shook her head._

_"Mapanganib ang mga salita mo," she told him as she wove a wreath of flowers on her lap. "Bakit mo naman nanaising sumali sa himagsikan?"_

_"Dahil nakikita ko ang paghihirap ng mga kababayan natin dahil sakanila," he replied quietly. "Alam kong mapanganib ito. Kaya nga hindi ako sumali, hindi ba?"_

_"Kung sumali ka man at nahuli ka nila, tiyak na pahihirapan nila ang pamilya mo." Angela smiled, set aside the flowers, and took his hand. "Mas ikatutuwa naming lahat na nandito ka lamang."_

_He wasn't sure just how much she believed in her own words, but he truly was also glad to be with her. He supposed that was an incentive for him not to join the revolution - aside from the fact that he would be killed by the time that the fighting started. "Ikinatutuwa ko din na nandito lamang ako," he admitted. "Kahit na ramdam kong isa akong duwag."_

_She smiled and brushed strands of hair away from his face. "Huwag na huwag mong tatawaging duwang ang iyong sarili. Matapang ka, Joven. Napakatapang."_

_He didn't believe her words - he couldn't find it in him to do so - but he took heart in them._

* * *

**Saturday, 01-02-16, 2:00 PM, San Fabian, Pangasinan**

The lukewarm waves lulled him to a quiet state of calm. Every breath he took of the salty air invigorated him, made him forget of the stormy gray skies above and the task he was going to face.

_Hindi lang naman siguro ako basta basta papasok sa simbahan ng Manaoag at maghuhukay, ano?_

Nothing was ever easy, was it?

His ears pricked up at the sound of loud footfalls, and he turned to see Vince Enriquez dashing toward him, a look of terror on his face. "Kuya Joven!" he wailed, hiding behind him.

Right behind him was a girl in a white shirt which was unfortunately stained with orange juice. She had an annoyed,  _murderous_ look in her face as she stalked toward the two of them.

"Huy, Vicente, anong ginawa mo?" Joven asked. He had no plans of trying to diffuse a fight - he never was good with it. He remembered that drunken brawl that he ended up in last August.  _Tipong nangaawat ka lang, umabot sa pakikipagsapakan._

"Nabuhusan ko ng juice," Vince stammered, eyes wide.

Joven's eyes flickered to the woman who was now standing over them and nearly jumped out of his skin. They were facing Adela, Goyong's lone female aide de camp from the war. She was a little younger, it seemed, but she still had that stubborn look on her face that he once came to appreciate.

She would definitely have done well on a debate team.

"Vince..." he finally said with an exasperated sigh. "Ba't di ka magapologize?"

"N-Nagapologize na ako," Vince shot back.

"Sa tingin mo may magagawa pa yung sorry mo?" Adela's reincarnation asked. She took of her shirt, revealing a pink bikini underneath, and flung the shirt at their faces before stalking off with a huff.

Vince staggered back, face red. "Dios ko Lord..."

Despite being startled - and the overarching sense of worry that crept at the edges of his thoughts all the time - Joven actually managed to smile.

**Saturday, 01-02-16, 4:00 PM, San Fabian, Pangasinan**

He watched over Jose, Rusca and Goyong weakly attempted to start a small fire for a barbecue - smack dab in the middle of the beach, with the strong sea breeze accentuated by the season. People were staring at their futile efforts with varying levels of amusement.

Joven sighed when they ran out of matches.

Jose jogged off and returned with a lit cigarette, which he immediately dropped when Goyong ended up in a coughing over it. Eventually, Rusca arrived with another box of matches and actually succeeded in lighting up their small bonfire.

"Wala pa man kayong naluluto, nagugutom na ako," Nonong complained from a distance. The boy was busy fending off an entire army of giggling girls, as always.

"Gago, lagi ka namang gutom!" Rusca called out.

Paco sat down beside Joven, a bottle of ice cold water in hand. "So hihiwalay ka samin bukas?"

Joven nodded. "Oo, para wala na akong iniisip masyado. Pero alam mo, pakiramdam ko umpisa palang yung kung ano mang mahahanap ko sa Manaoag."

Paco nodded sagely. "Parang wala namang madali sa atin, ano? Tignan mo si Goyong, akala niya kailangan lang niyang pagsamahin yung tropa at oks na siya. Yun pala kailangan din niyang makipaglaban sa anino ni Ka Andres."

"Narinig ko yung pangalan ko." Andres Bonifacio  _in the flesh_ approached them, a small smile on his face.

"K-Ka Andoy," Joven stammered. It's been a while since he met the man, but he still couldn't help but stare in awe at the legendary man.

Andres chuckled. "Balita ko may treasure hunting kang gagawin."

"Hindi naman po siguro aabot sa level ng Da Vinci Code," Joven noted with a wry grin. "Pero nacurious din po ako kasi may hindi ako maalala tungkol sa mga laman nun."

He wouldn't feel any closure until he could finally remember everything from his past life, whether good or bad. And though there were few details that he could not recall, he knew that finding the documents would pave the way for his memories to return.

"Pero sigurado ka ba sa desisyon mong gawin itong magisa?" Andres pressed on. "Alam kong wala na talaga yung anino ko pero... may pakiramdam akong meron pang mga ibang umaaligid dito."

Joven nodded. "Kaya po dinala ko yung kampilan na nakita namin sa basement. Baka makatulong."

Andres shook his head, lips pursed in worry. "Hindi parin reassuring yan pero... makakatulong nga. Magiingat ka."

 _Magiingat ka._ The Supremo's words sent goosebumps down his arms, giving him an unwarranted feeling of impending doom. His throat constricted, but he struggled to stay calm and composed. Joven Hernando may have been a coward and an idiot, but he knew how to hide his emotions.

He will be fine. He had to.

**Saturday, 01-02-16, 5:15 PM, San Fabian, Pangasinan**

Jay handed him a stick of barbecue and sat beside him, sitting at the edge of the sea, the waves tickling the sand and their toes. She had a massive grin on her face. "Sayang naman hindi mo kami isasama sa treasure hunting mo."

"Hindi na talaga kailangan. Basta magenjoy nalang kayo," Joven shot back, taking a bite of the barbecue. "Kaya ko na yung sarili ko."

"Siguraduhin mo lang yan, kuya, kasi pag nasaktan ka, tatagain ko yung nanakit sayo." Coming from her, it was definitely something that Joven could believe. Jay would probably never hesitate to get into a fight just for the heck of it... and also come out on top as a winner.

"Ikaw talaga, kutusin kaya kita?" Joven chuckled.

He would always,  _always_ worry about his sister.  _Mahirap nang alisin sa akin yun, lalo na at alam ko yung ginawa ni Mama sayo._ He shuddered, remembering that night when they rushed his sixteen year old sister to the hospital because their own mother nearly killed her. It was probably the main reason why he felt so overprotective of her.

She snorted and reached out for the pocket of her board shorts. Well, of course she was always ready with a knife. "Dalhin mo din to, ha? Alam kong hindi siguro effective sa anino 'to pero mas madaling itago kesa dun sa kampilan." Her smile turned dangerously sweet - as if she would flay him alive if he decided to defy her. "Siguraduhin mong ikaw yung magbabalik niyan sakin."

Well, at least that was another incentive not to get himself killed and make his way back home.

**Saturday, 01-02-16, 10:15 PM, San Fabian, Pangasinan**

He was supposed to leave in the morning, but he was afraid that seeing his friends would convince him to take at least Goyong and Rusca - maybe even Paco and Jose - with him. He can't. He couldn't. He knew that someone was probably out to kill Goyong yet again and didn't want to add to his friend's burdens by bringing him out in the open yet again.

He'll have to look for some cheap hotel or something to sleep in when he got some distance between himself and the glassy waves of San Fabian.

He checked Goyong's map, which thankfully started in the general area they were in. It seemed like the boy general drifted from city to city in the 50's, not really knowing where he was headed.

Unfortunately, the map was sixty years too old - Goyong's only trip to Pangasinan since then was in Dagupan, and so Joven ended up getting lost roughly an hour after he snuck out from his friends.

His stomach growled in hunger. Having been to anxious to leave, he wasn't able to eat anything properly since they arrived in San Fabian and now his body was demanding for food.

Well, thinking clearly was easier when one had an empty stomach.

He ended up in a small 24/7 cafeteria, which was even blissfully, miraculously air conditioned. He merely got himself a small bowl of  _arroz caldo_ and a bottle of soda, aware that he wouldn't be able to keep down anything heavier and more solid.

He just finished his meal when he looked up and noticed the two women sitting on the table across from his spot. One was Tina del Rosario, hair still brightly purple and highlighted with rainboy huses. The other woman was Angela Buencamino in the flesh, a little older than the Angela from his memories, her hair a vivid pink, a small, cat-like smile on her face.

The surprise running through his body made him feel like he was hit by a speeding truck in the middle of a slippery highway.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bem bem cliffhangers! I missed these!


	6. Lost

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Joven gets lost en route to Manaoag.

_He was eighteen when he saw Poleng for the last time. She was beautiful, as always, a blushing bride at nineteen - almost twenty. She stood by the mirror in her bedroom, her hair done up in a proper bun, a wreath of flowers woven upon her hair. The expression on her face was that of anguish, her back was rigid and her hands were clenched into fists._

_"Joven, akala ko'y hindi kayo makadadalo," she finally said after a few seconds of merely staring at him._

_"Sabik na sabik si Inay," Joven admitted. His mother believed that weddings were a ray of light in such dark, troubled times. He believed that lavish weddings in the middle of a war was unnecessary, as the money wasted on it could have gone to more important things._

_She smiled tightly and motioned to her room. "Ito na ang huling pagkakataon na papasok ako dito bilang si Binibining Hernando. Magiging na akong Ginang Santos pagkatapos ng kasal na ito - at hindi ko man alam kung makakaapak pa akong muli sa kwartong ito." Her eyes flickered to him. "Sana'y sumama na lamang ako kay Gregorio nang mag-alok siyang magtanan kami."_

_Joven nodded. "Ngunit ginawa mo ang nararapat para sa pamilya at mga magulang mo, hindi ba?" He understood her - he really did. They acted upon what they believed would be best not for themselves, but for family, for duty, for honor. "Minahal mo ba siya? Ang balita ko'y sumali na siya sa himagsikan."_

_"Mahal ko parin siya," Poleng corrected him sharply. She cast down her eyes, looking gaunt and older than she actually. "Iisipin ko parin siya tuwing gabi. Iisipin ko siya tuwing may balita ng mga rebeldeng napaslang. Iisipin ko siya habang siya naman ang ikinakasal. Iisipin ko siya hangga't makakaya ko."_

_He raised an eyebrow. "Kahit na nalimutan ka na niya?"_

_She nodded sadly. "Dulot lamang ito ng nararamdaman ko para sa daan na pinili kong tahakin."_

_Her words made him wonder if he would ever make such a life changing and painfully wrong decision._

_He hoped not._

* * *

**Saturday, 01-02-16, 10:30 PM, San Fabian, Pangasinan**

He couldn't breathe - he just couldn't. Angela was just a few meters away from him, and his throat was constricting from terror. She seemed blissfully unaware of his existence though, as she was so engrossed in her conversation with Tina, which was a good thing. He didn't want to face her yet - guilt ate up his thoughts, nibbled away at all the words he could say.

He was shaking all over when he finally found the strength to stand up and walk out of the cafeteria. Even his thoughts were muddled by who he just saw. He felt his throat constricting, the guilt choking him.

He left her more than a century ago, not knowing her fate, not knowing what he did to her.

He didn't know how long he stood their, fighting back the tears and the rage and the guilt. He did know that the night had gone cold by the time he set off yet again to the southeast - to Manaoag.

Why Goyong buried his notes in a church courtyard, he would never understand. He was sure that no one in their right mind would dig around the church unless they had a very good reason for it, though, so he supposed it was a good thing.

_Sue me, ilegal ata yung gagawin ko._

**Sunday, 01-03-16, 6:45 AM, Manaoag, Pangasinan**

He was horribly, terribly, miserably lost. The map he had in hand was outdated, and the attrocious data in the area means that apps wouldn't really be of much help. He regretted not even bothering to print out a map of the general area in modern times. Leaving his car and his keys with Rusca was definitely not a regret though. The team wouldn't fit on Manuel and Ka Andres' vehicles.

At least it was a cool day. The sun was muted behind a veil of pale gray clouds, and walking wasn't that terrible. He barely had any sleep the previous night - it took him a long time to find a budget hotel in between San Fabian and Manaoag - and he walked around as much as he commuted as he had no idea where he was supposed to be going half the time. He asked for directions to the basilica multiple times, but even the directions given to him seemed to be conflicting with each other.

His phone regularly buzzed from the calls and texts that he received from his friends, but he chose to ignore them. He was afraid that answering or reading even just one of them would cause him to chicken out and ask them to help him out. He had this odd feeling that someone would want them.

He had to stop by a nearby bakery for breakfast, the smell of freshly baked bread reminding him of home, and the ragtag bunch of reincarnated soldiers that he came to consider as his family. Well, he'll be going home that night, he was pretty sure of that.

"Hindi ko alam kung sinusundan mo ba ako, o nagkataon lang talagang nakikita kita magmula kahapon." A loud voice jolted him out of his thoughts, making him look up from his paper bag that was crammed full of ensaymada.

He was face to face with Tina del Rosario, who had an amused smirk on her face. "Um, hi?" he began. "Pasensya na, kahapon pa ako naliligaw kasi eh. Siguro coincidence lang." There it was again, the word  _coincidence._

"Siguro nga." Tina flicked a few strands of hair away from her face carelessly. "Saan ka ba papunta? Baka matulungan kita."

Joven had the odd, mad feeling that she was scrutinizing him, thinking of ways on how she could gut him without spilling too much blood. "S-Sa simbahan ng Manaoag," he finally said after a quick deliberation.

Tina nodded thoughtfully. "Medyo napalayo ka ng konti ah. Papunta din ako dun, actually." She smiled at him - it was nice enough, though it was still as terrifying as Jay's. She held out her hand. "Tina del Rosario nga pala."

Joven took it. "Hi, Joven Hernando _the fifth_."

Tina froze mid-handshake. "J-Joven Hernando?" Her brown eyes widened. She withdrew her hand quickly, while the other one twitched, as if she was resisting the urge to reach out for the escrima stick casing that was slung across her back. "May kilala ka bang Paul Ridel?"

He felt like he was doused in ice cold water.  _Paul Ridel. Yung pangalan na yun nanaman._ "Alam ko yung pangalan, I guess," he said, trying to buy time. "Pero hindi ko kilala personally."

"Ah." Tina was apparently baffled by that. "Nagsend kasi siya ng email sa papa ko nung minsan. Magkaibigan ata sila. Sabi kasi niya baka may makilala akong Joven Hernando sa may Manaoag, and na samahan ko daw sa simbahan kung kailangan."

His mind ran in circles from his renewed interest in Paul Ridel's identity now he was wondering if the man was yet another immortal like Goyong and Ka Andres. He also wonderd exactly how in the world the mystery man could have known that Joven would be on his way to Manaoag.

He took a deep breath and smiled. He could at least stick close enough to the truth. _Hindi naman ako magsisinungaling._  "Magkakilala ata sila ng lolo ko." Well, Paul Ridel and his grandfather seemed to be acquainted to each other, at least.

Tina nodded. "Well, mukhang alam naman niya yung sinasabi niya." She rubbed her bare arms - why was she wearing a black tank top smack dab in the middle of a cold day, especially so early in the morning? "Sabay na tayo hanggang sa simbahan."

Of course he couldn't help but say yes. Wasn't he aware that the woman in front of him would end up playing a part in his small adventure? It also seemed like Paul Ridel - whoever and whatever in the world he was - would keep turning up too. Painful thought kept creeping up at the back of his head too. It seemed like he was going to face Angela sooner than he expected, especially as she seemed acquainted with Tina.

How does one face someone that you left because of cowardice? How does one face the woman that he childishly, recklessly defiled and unwittingly left to her death?

**Sunday, 01-03-16, 8:00 AM, Manaoag, Pangasinan**

Every breath of the frigid air stung. They had to walk part of the way uphill to the basilica as it would have been faster than facing the traffic jam caused by the early weekend pilgrims and devotees making their way to the basilica.

Seeing the families walking across the parking lot sent a painful twinge in his stomach. He hasn't had a proper family for years, and he couldn't remember what having one felt like anymore. He loved his sister and the mismatched family that he now belonged in, he knew that, but there was just something painfully nostalgic about the past - to the days before his mother broke down and attempted to murder her own daughter, and before his father lost his life to an accident.

His childhood began around the time he was fifteen, when they moved out of the family home that he was now residing in again, with his unstable mother and a father who futilely struggled to keep everyone's spirits up. It completely died when his mother was incarcerated after attempting to murder Jay.

"Ang lalim naman ng iniisip mo," Tina noted, a small distance behind him. "May problema ba?"

"Wala naman." He gazed up at the sky, wondering if it was going to rain. The veil of clouds concealing the sun were thickening by the minute. "May naalala lang."

Tina nodded sagely. "May ganyang epekto nga siguro yung mga ganitong klaseng lugar," she noted. "Kung kailangan mo ng tulong para maghanap ng bus terminal o jeep pagkatapos mo dito, pwede naman tayong magkita dito after two hours. May kakausapin lang ako sa office."

He smiled and nodded. He was still terrified out of his wits by her, but at least she seemed friendly enough. Maybe her similarities to his own sister just threw him off guard. "I'd appreciate that."

He watched her disappear in the throng of people heading to the church, contemplating his next action. He couldn't just dig around in the middle of the morning - he would probably have to scout around and then return in the evening. He knew that he'd probably be doing something illegal, but he couldn't see any other options.

He glanced down at the scrap of paper with Goyong's hastily drawn map of the basilica itself. It seemed accurate enough, despite the small changes that were added in the area over the past six and a half decades. He set off, map in hand, to look for the courtyard where Goyong hid the notes. He knew that it wouldn't be as simple as digging. It definitely would not.

_Noong bata ako lagi akong umaasang magkaroon ako ng adventure na kagaya ng mga nababasa ko. Sabi nga nila, "be careful what you wish for." Rakenrol to the world._

**Bonus**

**Sunday, 01-03-16, 8:00 AM, San Fabian, Pangasinan**

Rusca put down his phone, a sense of unease settling in his gut. Despite Jose and Nonong's jokes, he was sure that it had absolutely nothing to do with the inhumanly massive breakfast that he was steadily devouring. None of them have been able to contact Joven, despite flooding him with phone calls and text messages ever since he suddenly disappeared late the previous night.

He was a hurricane slash trainwreck of worry and terror and anxiety. He couldn't help but wonder if that assailant from the Cabusilan mountains somehow ended up in Pangasinan and was actively tracking down Joven... or someone else from their team.

"Tangina, hirap ata niyang hagilapin," Goyong growled from the other end of the table.

Rusca nodded with a small frown. "Nagaalala ako."  _Hindi lang kay Joven, pati na din sayo, brad._

He also wondered if the assailant was actually hunting down Goyong. The enemy mentioned that he attacked the wrong del Pilar man - Julian - during their encounter.

Of course, he wouldn't let any sick bastard harm his friends. They'd have to go through him first - and this time no one would ever take him down again without a good fight, much struggling, kicking, and screaming.  _Peks man._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Refresher lang po, yes, pinsan po ng mga Hernando si Nonong, so in a way silang tatlo yung may ari ng headquarters ng team hdp :)))
> 
> Anyway, anniversary pala ng EDSA people power ngayon. I hope this day will remind us of just how powerful we are when united, and yet again, of Heneral Luna's question: "bayan o sarili?"


	7. Weightless

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Joven breaks the law.

_He never could understand the reason why he felt so much affection, admiration, and awe whenever he was with Angela. He couldn't help but smile whenever she started talking, and even plucked up the courage to take her hand at times. She didn't seem to mind, which he guessed was a good thing._

_He was alone in the house that night, a young man of twenty with so much time to write now that the war had finally winded down. His mother was away with two of their three servants so that she could accompany her sister to some party or another. His father and brother had not yet gone back home. According to their last letters, they have joined the Philippine Army and enrolled in what sounded like a military school. His father urged him to join them after his twenty first birthday. Of course, he still wasn't interested in marching to a life of war and battles and search for glory. He had a feelign that he'd end up forced into it though, knowing his parents._

_His eyes were heavy and his hand hurt, but he kept writing, detailing the way that his hometown was untouched though he heard of the casualties and the sorrow and the pain that everyone else experienced due to the war. He sent everything he wrote to Poleng, ever since he started, and her lack of response since her wedding troubled him._

_Still, he persevered. He missed her, and the chaos that was ongoing around the country prevented him from traveling all the way to from their home in Porac._

_He was jolted out of his thoughts by a soft knock on the to his room. He wondered what Eusebio, the servant that was left behind with him, would need at such an hour. He threw the door open, ready to help, when he came face to face with a wide eyed Angela. She was clad in an ivory dress, a sealed letter clutched to her chest._

_"Anong ginagawa mo dito? Malalim na ang gabi," was all he could say._

_She smiled demurely - she had always been demure and soft spoken, but she still somehow managed to tantalize him all the same. "Nasa Floridablanca ang mga magulang ko. Sabi sa akin ni Eusebio na nandito ka."_

_Joven stepped aside to let her in. He had never let her inside his room before despite being best friends. Of course, they both had to follow the rules of propriety. It seemed like no one else but the lone servant knew where they were that night._

_"Hindi mo parin sinasagot ang aking tanong," he mused._

_She held out the letter that she was clutching. "Tila hindi alam ng mga mensahero na may tao sa inyong bahay. Iniwan nila sa amin ang liham ng ama mo."_

_He took the letter solemnly, slowly opening it and reading, electrifyingly aware of her gaze. It took him a while to read the lengthy letter, which culminated in the news that his brother had been killed in a drunk brawl. Apparently he had insulted fellow trainees in the academy by saying snide comments about brown skinned indios - when he was partly descended from such a bloodline too._

_He never had much love for his brother - Lorenzo was a bully and a highly prejudiced man - but for all their faults, they were still brothers._

_"Joven, may problema ba? Anong nangyari?" Angela asked, breaking him from his trail of thoughts. Her hand moved up, as if to touch him, but hesitated. "May maitutulong ba ako?"_

_He took her hand and pulled her close. Turmoil - not just for the loss of his brother, but for whatever feelings he had for the girl in front of him - started to drown him. "Dito ka lang ngayong gabi. Huwag mo akong iiwan."_

**Sunday, 01-03-16, 11:00 AM, Manaoag Shrine**

He stood under a tree in the courtyard, staring at the roots that tangled with the earth and extended to some cracked stonework. Goyong's memories of the courtyard seemed hazy, but the location of the tree wa spot-on.

Now it was all just a matter of digging beneath its roots. He couldn't linger long as a lot of devotees have been giving him odd looks since he arrived. At least he knew where to look for the documents. It was now just a matter of sneaking back with a shovel and digging around smack dab in the middle of the night.

_Madali? Anong madali?_

At least he had time to buy some souvenirs for his friends. He turned away and headed for stairs to the souvenir shop when he felt his skin crawl. He looked around, wondering why he felt a sudden sense of wrongness that pervaded the air. He had no idea why the aura of unease settled over him like a heavy cloak, but it made his skin crawl. He looked around, wondering who could be causing it, but there was nothing unusual about the people surrounding him.

That was when he noticed the girl that was watching him.

She was a handful of years younger than him, maybe around Nonong's age. She was pretty, in a way, with skin the color of honey and canted dark eyes framed by glossy curls. She smiled at him and looked away.

He scowled before moving on, wondering why the girl made him feel so uneasy. There was something about her that he can't quite put a finger on, as his mind felt so muddled and exhausted. Maybe the lack of sleep was just catching on to him, or the stress of breaking into a church and digging around the courtyard.

He wasn't a natural rulebreaker like a great number of his friends - and doing something as major as breaking into a church after its operating hours and digging around actually sent shudders of fear running through his very being. 

Well, there was no other choice but to suck it up, was there?

**Sunday, 01-03-16, 12:15 PM, Manaoag, Pangasinan**

Tina actually found him eating in a nearby  _carinderia._ Not even the noon sun diminished the terrifying aura she cast around her. She flicked her colorful hair away from her face and sat down beside him, a big smile on her face.

"So, Mr. Hernando, kamusta naman yung... appointment mo sa simbahan?" she asked.

He just shrugged, mouth too full of food for him to provide a proper response. He was ravenous, having been unable to keep down proper food since the last night.  _Kung ganito palagi ang gutom ni Ed, naiintindihan ko bakit parang halos hindi na siya tumigil sa kakakain._

Tina tilted her head, a look of curiosity in her eyes. "So, totoo ba yung sinabi ni Paul dun sa email niya? May balak kang gawin na trespassing sa simbahan?"

Joven went white. Just who was Paul Ridel? How did he know  _so much?_ He took a deep breath and smiled. "Kilala mo siguro yung lolo ng lolo ko - yung original Joven Hernando na nagsulat ng mga libro tungkol sa ilang mga important figures sa Fil-Am war?"

Tina frowned a little before she nodded slowly. "May kopya yung lolo ko nung libro tungkol sa del Pilar brigade, pero sabi niya parang may kulang daw. May rumors noon na nawala yung original manuscript ng mga libro niya, kaya ang daming butal nung sinulat niya ulit."

_Sobrang daming kulang. Hindi ko na naisulat muli at ayokong makagalit ng mga tao._

"Nawala nga sila," Joven agreed. "At alam kong nakatago sila sa Manaoag - kaya kailangan kong bumalik dun mamayang gabi, actually."

Tina made a face. "Hindi ko alam kung baliw ka o ano, pero naiintriga ako kung bakit alam niya lahat ng ito." A mad smile lit up her pale face and she leaned forward with a conspiratory glint in her dark eyes. "Sige, tulungan kita."

It was supposed to be reassuring, but her words just made him dread the night even more. Well, it seemed like everything he discovered over the last few days pointed toward Tina's importance to his little fieldtrip.

"Sige, basta do not ask too much questions, teh," he finally said.

**Monday, 01-04-16, 03:00 AM, Manaoag Shrine**

It was the so-called witching hour, but he felt no fear. He had never been superstitious, and he would never even have believed in the supernatural if he did not experience reincarnation first hand or witness just who - or  _what -_ Goyong was.

They were in the large area where people would light prayer candles on a small pool containing a small replica of the Lady of Manaoag. It was eerily dark and quiet as Joven crept through the place, treading as lightly as he could so as to avoid making unnecessary sounds. Tina seemed to be better at it than him, but he didn't begrudge her. Women seemed to have a propensity for stealth that he appreciated.

It took them only a few minutes to reach the dark church courtyard. The sound of crickets permeated the air.

He located the tree without even any hassle. He and Tina were prepared with shovels that were hidden in rolled up blankets. They began to dig, and he hoped that Goyong didn't mean for them to search all night - and that no one has found the documents before them yet.

They have dug up quite a lot of soil and dirt already when a voice rang through the courtyard, like a chilly, ghastly breeze.

"Kung ako yang nasa lugar mo, titigilan ko na ang paghukay," a girl said in a singsong voice.

Joven turned and saw the girl from earlier that day, still dressed in a plain black shirt tucked into her ripped jeans. She smiled at him, and he felt an odd haze over his thoughts, clouding them, addling him.

"Mapanganib ang daan na tinatahak mo," she continued.

 _Tangina, multo ba to?_ "Bakit ganyan kang magsalita?" he asked, stalling for time. For all he knew, she could be some sort of doppleganger.

Tina let out a disapproving huff. "Anong kailangan mo samin?" She set down her shovel and reached for the escrima case slung across her back.

The girl's smile merely widened. "Inuulit ko - itigil niyo na yan kung ayaw niyong mapahamak."

"How about... no?" Joven hefted his shovel, wondering just how much use it would be. He wouldn't have time to pull out his new dagger or even the knife that Jay loaned him.

"Magsisisi ka, Ginoong Hernando." The girl's eerie voice seemed to be everywhere at once. She turned away and walked off.

Joven exchanged an uncomfortable glance with Tina, who winced. "Maganda siguro kung dalian natin 'to," she said, her voice as calm and steady as ever. "Baka tumawag pa ng pulis yung bata."

Joven nodded, though he was starting to break into cold sweat. There was something odd - something nigh  _unnatural_ about that girl. He still couldn't pinpoint what exactly was wrong, but he knew that she wasn't just there to warn them about law enforcement people who are about to swoop down on them.

He dug his shovel into the earth again and felt a dull  _thunk_ as he hit something that sounded a little hollow. Together with Tina, he slowly unearthed a small, antique-looking wooden box. His heart hammered as he ran a hand across the wooden lock. He didn't have the key, but Goyong did. He remembered discussing that with the former boy general shortly before the holiday season. Even the appearance of the box was spot when compared to Goyong's sketch.

"Yan ba yun? Sigurado ka?" Tina asked quietly.

He nodded. "Wala sakin yung susi so kailangan ko pang maghanap ng makakabukas nito." He tried to pry the box open, hoping that time weakened the lock mechanism - but failed.

Tina pursed her lips. "May mga gamit kao sa hotel pero medyo... awkward naman ata."

Joven smiled and shook his head. "May kilala akong makakabukas nito sa Angeles, wag kang magalala."

Tina seemed to perk up at the mention of the city. "Uy, dun ka rin pala nakatira?"

"Oo. Ako yung may ari ng Tea-rad Pass." He stood up and dusted his shirt. Merely touching the box sent a tingle of shock throughout his entire being.

She chuckled. "Tea-rad Pass? Ah, yung cafe? Muntik na akong masagasaan nung mga empleyado mo dati."

He did remember that story. "Hindi na ako magtataka kung si Greg at Ed yan. Tara na, baka mayh makahuli pa satin."

She nodded and followed him all the way through the basilica grounds, the parking lot, and on the portion of the wall that they scaled to get into the area. They started walking downhill from the blissfully empty main road - and came face to face with a black clad man who was waiting for them at the end of the road.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Cliffhanger? Check. Horror? Check. Adventure? Check.
> 
> Good luck kay Jovenito at Tina!


	8. The Kids Aren't All Right

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Joven gets into a fight... sort of.

_He regretted sleeping with Angela when morning came._

_He defiled her, destroyed her chances of being betrothed to someone affluent - and influential - to suit her family's preferences. He knew that despite her gentleness and kindness, she was still related to ruthless people who were in power both in the old and the new regime._

_He didn't even understand his choice to sleep with her, his best friend. He couldn't even figure out what he actually felt about her. He knew that he was lonely, he adored her, and he was in turmoil over the news of his father's death. He had sinned and he knew that no amount of prayer would ever redeem him from defiling the most beautiful girl he would ever know._

_She shifted in his arms, as naked as he was - aside from the thin cotton sheets that concealed their bodies. A small smile formed on her face as she snuggled closer to him. Why did she agree to let herself be defiled by a fool like him?_

* * *

_His father arrived that morning with his brother's coffin. Everyone in town seemed to be lurking in the streets, hoping to catch a glimpse of the quiet funeral procession that took the Hernando family to the church. No one was allowed near the casket, for some reason or another - neither of his parents explained it to him. They have always deemed him dull witted as he did not share the same interests as them - apparently writing was an uneducated man's profession._

_He spotted Angela from across the churchyard. She was dressed in the black of mourning, like her parents - his mother having rushed from the fiesta - and her uncles. They have only exchanged polite words since that night. It broke his heart, but he understood why she acted that way. He had ruined her._

_It was a brilliantly sunny but cool day. He decided to stay behind after the funeral not just to pray for his brother's soul, but also to contemplate. He had been doing that a lot lately, for one reason or another._

_He barely noticed how much time had already passed, as he stared at the freshly marked grave and thought and thought and thought. He thought of Angela, and his family, and his brother, and his future._

_A loud rustling jolted him out of his reverie, though._

_He turned and saw a man in the rayadillo uniform of a soldier, his face heavily bandaged. The way he strutted was terribly, awfully familiar, though. He headed for Joven and stopped right in front of the younger man, bloodshot brown eyes flickering quickly to the grave before turning back to Joven._

_"Ibang tao ang nakahimlay diyan," he noted nonchalantly._

_Joven felt the goosebumps rise, covering his arms. "Kuya Lorenzo?"_

* * *

**Monday, 01-04-16, 03:30 AM, Manaoag Shrine Area**

All he could do was utter a swearword.

The man in black who was facing them was clean shaven, maybe in his thirties or forties. His dark hair was thick and wavy, and there was an odd, intense glimmer in his eyes. Joven was sure that they've never met, but his countenance was awfully familiar.

His hand moved to the knife concealed in his belt, and he could see Tina reaching for her escrima sticks in his peripheral vision. He knew without a doubt that this man was terribly dangerous - and wouldn't hesitate to harm or maybe even kill them.  _Dios mio, sana hindi naman anino to._

He had a suspicion that he was, though.

The man smiled widely, savagely, and drew a black knife from his pocket.  _Shit._ Joven held his ground in the way that he learned from years of self defense lessons as a boy. He wasn't the boy who ran away from responsibilities and burdens anymore. He would hold his ground and face everything head on, adapting only if necessary.

The man leapt forward with his knife, and Joven met him halfway. Their knives met, and he realized that the man was far stronger and probably more knowledgeable in knife fighting. He was sure that even Rusca and Goyong would have fared better - and his sister would never even break a sweat.

Tina snuck up behind the man and struck him with the pommel of an elaborately designed sword. The man seemed unfazed by it though the attack would have been strong enough to knock him out. He reached out and grabbed Tina by her loose hair, slamming her head on the ground - all the while still managing to parry Joven's knife.

A blur of blades and kicks and punches ensued as the three attempted to gain advantage over each other during the ensuing brawl. It took all of Joven's concentration to make sure that he wouldn't get hurt - at least badly.

He felt a strong hand clamp around his throat all of a sudden, restricting his breathing. He was slammed against the sidewalk, knocking all the wind out of him. All attempts of struggling against their enemy was futile. His vision was already blurring when the enemy was suddenly yanked away from him. He heard Tina cry out, a soft splattering sound, and retreating footsteps.

It took him a while to regain his bearing again. He kept a hand on his throat, trying to cough and make sure that nothing was badly damaged. Tina leaned over him, a small gash marring her cheek. "Huy, ayos ka lang?" she asked.

It him a while to feel all right enough to respond. "Ayos lang... ata."

"Sino yun?" she asked.

"Hindi ko din alam," Joven said. Well, that was truthful enough. He had an inkling that they encountered someone who wasn't  _human,_ though. "Baka may balak mangholdap satin."

Tina didn't look convinced. "Itim yung dugo niya." She flicked thick black liquid off her sword before putting it back in its case, a nauseous look on her face. "Aswang ba siya, sa tingin mo?" It seemed like she readily believed in the supernatural too.

"Hindi ko rin alam, pero posible," Joven admitted. He couldn't voice out his suspsicions - it was far fetched even for those who were quite knowledgeable in the local supernatural beliefs. "Dios ko, sa harap ng simbahan?" And there he was thinking that dopplegangers were averse to holy places.

Tina nodded grimly. "Babalik na ako ng Angeles bukas, sabay na tayo kung gusto mo." She seemed as shaken as he felt.

Well, a bit more company until he reached home probably wouldn't be a bad idea.

**Monday, 01-04-16, 10:45 AM, Manaoag Shrine**

He barely got any sleep though the cheap room he rented for the night was actually quite comfortable. The documents in the box seemed to call out to him. Try as he might though, he couldn't succeed in unlocking or breaking it open. It seemed like he really need to wait until he returned to Angeles before he could be reunited with his beloved lost writings.

The events of the previous night kept playing out in his mind, bugging him with all the questions they caused. Though he hadn't really encountered Andres' doppleganger in person, he had a nagging feeling that the knife wielding assailant was a creature of the same sort. The man he copied was another matter, though. Try as he might, and despite the terribly familiar features, he couldn't really point his finger on the man's identity. Of course, there was also the girl from the church. She seemed - no, felt -  _normal_ enough, but even her normalcy felt off.

He met up with Tina in the church courtyard. The entire place was in a bit of turmoil - after all, they had no time to cover up everything they dug up. Some investigators were trying to figure out why someone actually dug around a tree and yet nothing seemed to have been damaged - and nothing was buried underneath it either. Otherwise, the church activities went on as usual.

Tina was waiting for him, a conspiratory smirk on her face. "Wala ka na bang aasikasuhin dito?" 

Joven shook his head. "Ayos na ata ang lahat." He'd had his fill of Pangasinan and even Manaoag for the meantime.

He wanted to go home, pore over his past self's writings, and check on what else he could glean from them. Besides, he missed his new family. He couldn't help but wonder how they would end up getting their revenge on him for not answering their calls and texts. Knowing what they were capable of, he knew that they'd come up with something hair raising.

At least Jay would be happy to know that her knife came in useful. He just wished that he was able to pull out the dagger and try it on their assailant. Apparently specifically blessed weapons had adverse effects on dopplegangers - and were the only things that could kill them.

**Bonus**

**Monday, 01-04-16, 10:45 AM, Tea-rad Pass**

Goyong leaned against the bar with a grin, watching the people in the tables contentedly. Despite being a busy day - classes have resumed and the cafe is filled to the brim with students yet again - there was something peaceful in the atmosphere, and he was contented with it. He had a sudden, odd feeling that Joven would be fine - the latter already called to announce that he was on his way home - and that he could finally relax for a while.

Nothing was ever going to be simple for people like him, but he was fine with that.

A new customer entered the cafe - a girl around Nonong's age, clad in a nursing student's classic uniform. She was short and petite, her sweet face and canted eyes framed with jet black glossy girls, a demure half smile on her face. She gazed up at him, and he felt everything turning cold.

Dolores Nable Jose - yet again. The last time he saw her, he almost got killed around six hours later. For some reason, he had come to associate the reincarnation of his so called  _last love_ with a bad omen. Not that he loved her - he felt a certain  _affection_ for her, that was all. He had always loved Poleng.

She looked up and smiled at him, and for a moment, her face flickered, her appearance turning less pleasant. He blinked, and she looked as she always did, as he always remembered.

He couldn't understand why but he felt like he was on the verge of panicking.  _Hindi ako nagmalikmata. Sigurado ako._ Something was wrong - very, very wrong. And it had something to do with Dolores, somehow. He couldn't breathe from the sudden terror that ruined his earlier feeling of peace and contentment.

He signalled to Rusca that he didn't feel good. He dashed to the staff room to regain his composure. The healing stitches on his chest and abdomen, and the scar on the back of his neck suddenly tingled.  _Something wicked this way comes, indeed._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Labyu guys. Kung may tanong, don't hesitate to ask.


	9. Thinker

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Joven gets snowballed.

_He stared at his heavily bandaged brother who was supposed to be dead, whose funeral they just attended. He wasn't sure about what was happening and he had no idea how he was going to deal with his current situation. At least he was able to prevent himself from staring open mouthed at the man standing in front of him. That would have made him appear more ridiculous than he already was._

_"Joven," Lorenzo Hernando finally began, his voice a mere rasp now instead of the smooth baritone that the younger Hernando brother was accustomed to. For some reason, he sounded calm and mellow instead of being boisterous. "Mabuti na lamang at nakita kita."_

_"Hindi ko maintindihan." Joven looked around, though luckily it seemed like no one else was around. "Ang buong pagaakala namin ay patay ka na."_

_"Nagpanggap akong patay dahil iyon ang iniutos ng Senyor Presidente." There have been mentions of a president, of a new regime, for quite a while. "May bago akong trabaho bilang isa sa kanyang mga tagamasid. Mas mainam kung isipin nilang namatay na lamang ako."_

_Joven nodded. That made sense - the little that a person knew about a spy, the better. "Alam ba nila ama at ina ito?"_

_Lorenzo laughed - and for a while, he sounded like the mean spirited boy that he used to be. "Oo. Pero alam ko namang hindi nila sasabihin sa iyo dahil iniisip nila na kasing sahol ka ng isang indio."_

_Joven fought hard not to bristle at those words. Not even the years could wash off the ingrained prejudices that most children from an affluent mestizo family such as theirs have been raised in. "Kaya minabuti mo nang sabihin sa akin ito?" He made a face. "May kailangan ka ba sa akin?"_

_"May dala lang akong babala - na magiingat ka. Mukhang hindi natin maaaring pagkatiwalaan ang mga Amerikano na tumulong sa atin laban sa mga Kastila." Without another word, Lorenzo turned and walked away, into the woods behind the church._

* * *

**Monday, 01-04-16, 4:15 PM, Brgy. Pulung Bulo**

He parted with Tina in one of the major intersections in the highway, as she was to go home to San Fernando while he just had a couple of minutes of traveling left.

He stood outside the gate for a while, realizing just then about how much he missed everyone at home. He wondered if any of his friends would like to strangle him for briefly cutting off his contact with them during his short trip. The house seemed empty despite it being a Monday night - though the Bernals weren't usually home until around six or seven, and Paco and Nonong were at school until nine.

He threw the gate open and winced at the screeching sound that it made. He barely had time to step in and lock it behind him before Rusca and Jay raced out of the front door, a startled look on both their faces. Rusca stopped upon recognizing him, but Jay strode right to him and grabbed him by the collar.

"Kuya, may sayad ka na ba?" she growled, gritting her teeth in annoyance. "Sana man lang hindi mo kami tinakasan - at sana sumasagot ka sa pagcontact namin ano?"

Joven blinked, then smiled. "Um, hi?"

Jay shoved him away, still scowling. "At least ayos ka lang. Akala namin may nanakit na sayo."

"Ah... eh... muntik na." Joven smiled angelically.

"Wag mong sasabihing may nanghabol din na gunman sayo!" Rusca hollered from the door.

Joven winced. "Hindi naman pero... mahabang kwento."

Jay nodded sagely. "Mukha nga. Tara, pasok na tayo. Mukhang mapapa-meeting nanaman tayo."

Inside, Goyong and the Enriquez brothers seemed focused on their phones, playing some kind of game or another. Goyong looked up as they stepped in and grinned . "Huy, ba't di ka sumasagot sa mga tawag namin, ha?"

Joven grinned. "Mahabang kwento." He set down the box that he was clutching close to him. "Brad, familiar ba sayo to?"

Goyong peered at the box and grinned. "Uy, nahanap mo na!" He set down his phone and gingerly pulled the box closer to him, a small frown on suddely creasing his face. "Parang may mali."

"Anyare?" Vince peered over his former boss' shoulders.

"Parang masyadong magaan." Goyong took out a small antique key and worked on opening the box. "Ilang journals din yung tinago ko noon ah."

Joven frowned. "Oo, mga lima yung naconfiscate sa akin pagkatapos mo akong idismiss."

"Possibleng ibang kahon ba yung nakuha ni kuya?" Jay asked.

Etong shook his head. "Impossible. Ayan nga oh nagmatch ata yung susi."

Rusca crossed his arms. "So, anong gusto mong sabihin? Na may nakialam? Eh diba ikaw lang yung may alam kung san mo tinago yan? Besides, ikaw lang yung may susi."

Goyong made a face. "Parang ganun na nga." He opened the box and blinked. "Tae."

The box was empty, except for a piece of yellowing index card. Joven gingerly picked it up. "Akala ko bang yung mga documents ko yung nilagay mo dito?"

Goyong looked as baffled as he felt. "Hindi ko alam - huli kong nakita mga libro yung nilagay ko diyan."

"C. Garcia, _Museo ning Angeles_ ,book reference number 1090915, page 15. Pasensya na, we need to do things this way because she's watching you and me. Regards, _P._ " Joven's confusion was increasing by the minute. "Ano to?"

"Hindi ko din alam, promise!" Goyong rubbed his chin. "Ilang beses nang lumitaw itong  _P_ na to ah. Parang laging may alam tungkol sa atin. Siya yung nagbigay samin ng lead na hindi na nakalibing sa ibaba ng simbahan si Jose."

Looking at the piece of paper though, it seemed like it was definitely important not just in locating his missing notes, but in something much bigger than that.  _"Nanu, atin pang oras. Munta tamu ba keng museo?" Ano, may oras pa. Pupunta ba tayo sa museo?_

**Monday, 01-04-16, 4:45 PM, Museo Ning Angeles**

He ended up being accompanied to the museum across the street from the parish church by Rusca and Goyong. The sun was still blazing weakly over their heads while a crowd of students from the nearby university and parochial school surrounded them. He squirmed uncomfortably whenever a student or two jostled him during their brief walk.

They finally crossed the church courtyard, the street, and the small park outside of the museum. Joven felt an odd feeling of anticipation - as if they were going to come up with something important soon. He hoped it would explain why he couldn't remember only one block of memories and why it had something to do with his missing documents.

They made it into the museum in time - then it was only a matter of following directions to the museum office, pretending to be working on some kind of research or another.

The office was empty except for a boy who looked like he was barely even old enough to be an intern. There was something vaguely familiar about his features, though Joven couldn't point out just  _who_ exactly he was facing.

The boy looked up and beamed at them. "JT Bugallon po, intern. May kailangan po ba kayo?"

Rusca let out a cough that made him sound like he was being strangled. It seemed like he  _did_ recognize the kid. There would be time to ask him later.

"May hinahanap kaming nagtatrabaho dito - C. Garcia?" Joven's eyes flickered to the index card in his hand.

Bugallon frowned briefly. "C. Garcia? Ah, baka si Ate Cat ang kalangan niyo!" He smiled angelically at them. "Siya yung in charge sa archive room, pero umuwi siya ng maaga ngayon, pero nandito siya bukas ng maghapon. Free yung schedule niya from 3PM onwards. Para sa research ba to?"

"Perfect." Joven smiled, hoping that he didn't look like he really did have something important to discuss with her. Being referred to someone from a museum archive room was quite interesting, though. "Research, oo."

Bugallon drummed his fingers on the desk. "Ah, tamang tama. Kabisado po niya halos lahat ng laman ng mga history books namin dito - lalo na yung mga sulat ni Joven Hernando. Pwede niyo din siyang lapitan kung kailangan niyong gumawa ng biographical paper nun. Sobrang idol niya eh."

Being directed to someone who was in charge of the historical archives and a fan of his works? It sounded too good to be true.  _Interesting._ "Well, medyo may kinalaman nga dun sa journalist na yun." He took out his wallet and grabbed a business card for his cafe. "Kung babalik kami ng mga 3PM bukas pwede kaya?"

"Oo, free nga siya." Bugallon was unbelievably perky, but in a very endearing way. "Ano pong pangalan niyo? Ilalagay ko na sa schedule niya."

Joven exchanged glances with his companions. He set down his business card - thankfully the boy took it without giving it a second glance. He didn't want to reveal his  _present_ identity yet and raise some awkward questions.

He didn't realize that he had so much pent up breath until they were already on their way back home. He wasn't sure what exactly he was getting himself to, but he knew that he had to trust his gut feeling that he was actually dealing with something important - not just to him, but to someone else in the team. He doubted his instincts ever since he ended up in disaster after disaster in his previous life, but something was telling him that he had to give it a chance, just this one time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AKALA NIYO GANUN LANG KADALI? *cackles*


	10. Moving Closer

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jovenito meets his ategirl

_"Kay tagal mo namang umuwi," his father said as he stepped into the house._

_His head was still swimming from his brother's revelation and his irritation with his parents. He didn't know where to focus on, if he was being honest with himself. At least it did help him with one thing - he was able to look his father in the eye for the first time since he could remember._

_"Hindi na ako isang bata na kailangang sundan kung saan man tumungo," he said quietly.  
_

_"Huwag mo akong pagsalitaan ng ganyan, Joven," his father snapped, taking in the voice of a strict, no nonsense soldier. "Ama mo ako."_

_Joven bit his tongue to prevent himself from uttering an angry retort. Despite the fact that years of unacknowledged resentment threatened to drown him at the moment, he knew that he would regret causing a scene._

_He would have his chance someday._

* * *

_They brought him to face the girl he was to be betrothed to - Angela Buencamino herself. It seemed like no one knew what happened that night and yet their parents have unanimously agreed to marry them off to each other despite the fact that it would provide no advantage to the Buencamino family. Then again, Angela was the youngest daughter of a fairly minor branch, and would probably be fine with a less wealthy match._

_He still did not know what to feel about her. He certainly felt some kind of affection that he couldn't quite find the right words for, but he knew that he wasn't ready for a marriage - not yet. He wanted to travel and write and learn. He wanted to do something for the country now that it was in turmoil. He wanted to do so much things, and being tied down as a married man would not help him accomplish any of them._

_Maybe he could leave for a while - see the world, commit what he saw to written word, do what he can for his countrymen. He wasn't breaking any promises to the Buencamino family, anyway. He fully intended to go home and marry Angela once he was ready. He just couldn't stand being married off without experiencing everything he could about the outside world first._

_May the heavens forgive him for it._

**Monday, 01-04-16, 7:30 PM, Brgy. Pulung Bulo**

He narrated his adventures over dinner. He may have been hailed as a great wartime journalist during his previous life, but the modern Joven Hernando seemed to lack a way with his words. The fact that his friends were all staring at him made him feel oddly anxious to say the right things. He didn't want to sugarcoat everything that he went through - all for a bunch of old journals that weren't even where they were supposed to be in. He knew that he sounded ridiculous, but he also told them about the odd girl in the church who gave them such cryptic warnings.

He looked down, trying to ignore his friends' horrified faces when he recalled the fight right outside the shrine and how he most probably would have been killed if it weren't for Tina. He was sure that they would berate him for not taking any of them with him - after all, that was the same mistake that nearly got Goyong killed a few times over the past few months. Any scolding they would dish out was well deserved.

To his surprise, no one scolded him - not even Manuel who had a dangerously stormy glint in his eyes.

"Sa tingin mo ba anino pareho yung mga yun?" Rusca finally asked after a moment of silence. "I mean, ang weird naman na nagbibigay ng warning yung isa - tapos sakto nagaabang naman yung lalake sa labas. Hindi pwedeng hindi supernatural yung mga to, sa tingin ko."

Joven nodded. "Medyo iba nga yung pakiramdam ko. Yung lalakemedyo tanda ko yung hitsura pero yung babae... hindi masyado." It felt like there was a haze in his head whenever he tried to think of the mysterious girl's face and voice. He remembered that he found her eerie and unsettling, but he can't seem to recall what she looked or sounded like.

Nonong finally looked up from his meal. He had been eating irritably for the past few minutes, still annoyed that he wasn't in the middle of action yet again. This time he looked interested. "So sa tingin mo mapipilitan tayong makipaglaban sa babae, ganun?"

"Hindi malabo." Hesitant though he may be to hurt a woman, Joven had resigned himself to the fact that the odd girl in the church could be yet another enemy. There was no need to voice out the fact that there was something more  _wrong_ wihth the girl when compared to the man. Of course, both of them felt  _unnatural_ and sinister, either way.

"Ayoko tong naririnig ko," mused Nonong. He had been quiet until that point, as he was busy scribbling on a piece of paper for some homework or another. "Akala ko tapos na lahat ng mga problema nung napatay niyo yung anino ni Sir Andres."

"Akala din namin matatahimik na yung buhay natin," Jose said with a wince. "Mukhang umpisa pa lang ata yun."

Joven winced. _Ang sabi nila, there's no rest for the wicked. Mukhang there's no rest for the reincarnated historical personalities din._

**Tuesday, 01-05-16, 10:00 AM, Tea-rad Pass**

Doing paperwork on the bar was more relaxing than doing it in his small office lately. Not that there was much to do but hang out that day. The cafe was quite busy and cheery yet again, as most customers were still in the middle of their post holiday euphoria. 

He had just looked up to rub the back of his neck when his eyes wandered to the counter that Jay was manning that day. He nearly jumped out of his skin when he realized that an awfully familiar, pink-haired girl was trying to place an order.

Angela Buencamino in the flesh had arrived in Tea-rad Pass.

"Strawberry vanilla frappe, regular sugar, whipped cream with caramel?" she was saying. "Teka... hindi ba masyadong matamis yun? Teka wala naman kaying mikmik flavored na drinks dito ano...?

It hurt - it hurt too much. Even the the way that her voice lilted was the same.

"Huy, Joven." Goyong was leaning over his side of the bar, a grin on his face. "Ayos ka lang?"

Joven nodded - and realized that his hands were shaking. "M-May nakita lang ako."

Goyong followed his gaze. "Yung babae dun?" he asked in a low voice. "Kilala mo? May past ba kayo?"

Joven felt his cheeks burn. "Parang ganun na nga. As in past na  _past,_ take note."

Goyong nodded sagely. "Ah, yan ba yung keso sa ibabaw ng ensaymada mo?"

"Huy, mamaya mo na landiin yung kuya ko," Jay scolded, sparing Joven from coming up with a half baked response. "Strawberry vanilla frappe, extra whipped cream with caramel and mint bits _for Angela_."

"Diabetes drink version two point zero, got it," Goyong said, turning away with a teasing grin.

Electricity seemed to run down Joven's spine as Angela's reincarnation took the only free seat in the cafe - the one in the bar, beside Joven. She had a cat-like smile on her face as she regarded Goyong with mild bemusement. "Ganyan ba talaga ang barista niyo?" she asked. At least she didn't seem fazed by the snark thrown at her.

Joven nodded numbly.  _Nandito ka. Nandito ka sa Angeles._ "Oo, pagpasensyahan mo na, Miss."

She smiled at him. "Angela Buencamino na lang," she said with a grin. She flicked away some of her bubblegum pink hair. "Kakadating ko lang dito galing Pangasinan, narecommend kasi ng ate ko yung cafe na to."

Joven nodded sagely. "Regular siguro dito yung ate mo."

Her smile widened, and it was achingly familiar despite the radical change that the modern era's fashion has brought upon her. "Actually minsan pa lang siya nakapunta dito, pero comfy daw. Medyo retro style nga no? No, more like hipster history buff thing."

He couldn't talk, and simply smiled serenely as she continued gushing over the cafe. The Angela of the past was never  _that_ enthusiastic, but he quickly found it endearing.

Goyong set down her drink, disrupting her train of thought. "Salamat," she began.

Goyong grinned at her and winked. "Baka balatin ako ng buhay ni Jovenito pag di ko binilisan yung order mo," he shot back.

Joven felt the warmth that slowly crept up his cheeks. "Huy, Gregorio, magtigil ka!" He looked away, highly aware that Angela was staring at him intently.

"Ngayon ko lang nakitang flustered yung kuya ko," Jay noted idly from the counter, amusement etched on her features.

Angela stared at her with a raised eyebrow. "Flustered?"

"Wag mo na silang pansinin." Joven gathered his paperwork - he knew that the two wouldn't live it down for a while. "Sa office lang ako. Nice meeting you, Miss Buencamino."

He locked his office door behind him when he arrived, and it took him a long while to calm his thoughts and steady his breathing.

_Nandito si Angela. Dios ko._

**Tuesday, 01-05-16, 3:00 PM, Tea-rad Pass**

As Rusca was off with Nena on some date or another, Joven found himself heading for the museum with Goyong and Jay. It was a cloudy afternoon, which suited him just fine. They made their way straight to the office this time.

"Wala pa to nung una akong pumunta sa Angeles," mused Goyong.

The intern, JT Bugallon, was waiting for them in his usual desk. The boy smiled brilliantly as he recognized them and waved the Tea-rad Pass business card that Joven gave him the previous day.  _"Joven Hernando V?_ Seryoso ka ba diyan, kuya? Walang biro? Well, alam kong may descendants siya at Martial Law activist yung isa pero..."

That would have been his grandfather. "Sa tingin mo pamimigay ko yung mga business cards na yan kung hindi totoo?" he shot back, mirroring the boy's grin.

Bugallon nodded thoughtfully. "Hinihintay na kayo ni Ate Cat sa archive room." He stood up, dusting his dishevelled shirt. "Tara na ba?"

Miraculously, Goyong did not take charge this time - he truly must have been trying hard to get rid of his hard wired instincts to lead. "Joven, kaya mo na ba o sasamahan ka namin?"

Joven smiled back. As much as he wanted to go in alone, he'd rather have his sister and her boyfriend with him. "Kailangan ko ata ng kasama, kung ayos lang sainyo."

"Ayos na ayos." Goyong's stance shifted almost imperceptibly, as if anticipating trouble.

Jay's hand moved to her hoodie sleeve, as if preparing to grab one of her hidden knoves. "Tara?"

Bugallon seemed blissfully unaware of the subtle shifts in his companions' countenance. He led them to a small side door leading into a larger room filled with shelves upon shelves of books and old documents. The smell of old paper felt invigorating to Joven - like the aches and pains he accumulated over the two eras he lived in have been washed away.

A petite woman with skin the beautiful color of honey was waiting for them behind her desk, poring over a stack of books while her dark hair of glossy waves fell over her face. She didn't seem to mind it though, as she was apparently too engrossed with whatever she was reading.

Bugallon cleared his throat. "Ate Cat?"

She looked up and glanced at him, looking a little confused. "JT, ayos ka lang?"

Bugallon nodded and motioned to the trio. "Ate, andito yung mga nagschedule ng meeting."

The woman - maybe two or three years older than Joven and pleasantly beautiful in an ethereal way - smiled at them, her canted eyes taking in the sight of the trio as if they were a fresh volume of books that she was eager to study. There was silence in the vast room for a few minutes as both parties tried to size each other up. Joven was sure that they wouldn't end up in a fight, but it seemed like his companions were still on edge.

The woman laughed, as if amused by their tenseness. "Grabe naman kayo, para naman akong killer kung makatingin kayo sakin." She held out her hand after briefly brushing away her dark her. "Catalina Garcia nga pala, head ng archives dito."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes. ANGELA IS HERE. AND I'M P SURE KILALA NIYO KANINO SI CATALINA


	11. Suntok sa Buwan

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Joven ends up in the middle of a mystery.

_The night was calm and warm. Not even the slightest breath of wind blew. He snuck out of the house through the window, dressed in his darkest clothes, hauling his luggage through the dark, damp streets. He was tired and worried and sleepless and upset, but none of those mattered - he was going to travel and learn and find his place in the world before he even thought of settling down._

_He wasn't sure if he loved Angela - he definitely saw her with a certain kind of affection - and truly had no idea why he actually slept with her that one night two weeks ago. He knew that he wouldn't mind marrying her. As a matter of fact, he would prefer if he did as he had already defiled her and felt something for her in the first place._

_By the time he hitched a ride on a horse carriage to Malolos, he murmured a silent promise that he would return - not just for his family, but also for Angela. He would fulfill everything they expected him to once he had satisfied his wanderlust and his thirst for knowledge. He swore it upon the grave of the man who was unwittingly buried under his brother's name._

_He would go home someday - as a changed man, but still essentially the same._

* * *

_He never knew just how much he and the people he would be returning to would change._

* * *

**Tuesday, 01-05-16, 3:00 PM, Museo ning Angeles**

Catalina watched them with interest. "May Joven Hernando V daw sainyo?"

Bugallon nodded eagerly and handed the business card to his boss. "Yes, ate Cat, at mukhang legit pa!"

Joven stepped forward from the shadows of his sister and his friend. He knew that he looked too  _unassuming_ to get what he wanted through sheer force of personality like the rest of the team. Well, he knew that there were other ways, of course.

"Legit ako," he said quietly.

Cat's eyes widened in excitement. She opened her mouth - as if to fawn over or shoot questions at his face - then shook her head. "Kung hindi lang appointment to, ang dami ko sanang itatanong sayo. Pero mukhang medyo importante yung ipinunta mo dito."

"Medyo." Joven wasn't sure how much he could tell her - after all, she was a complete stranger and he didn't even know if he could trust the person who left him the index card.

Cat smiled and turned to Bugallon. "Bhe, iniwan mo yung office? Baka may naghihintay na sayo dun. Mamaya na tayo magusap."

Joven turned to Goyong and Jay. "Ayos na ako dito," he began with his customary smile. "Hintay nalang kayo sa labas."

Jay's eyes tightened. "Sigurado ka ba diyan?"

Joven nodded. "Oo naman."

There was complete silence in the archive room until they were sure that it was empty. The quizzical look on Cat's face never faded - as a matter of fact, it intensified with each passing second. Neither she nor Joven seemed intent on speaking up first for a while, though.

Cat evidently couldn't keep her words held off for much longer, though. "So, Mr. Hernando, anong kailangan mo sa archives ngayon?" she asked.

Joven pulled out his index card but did not hand it to her yet. "Balita ko kasi na medyo... enthusiast ka sa naisulat nung original Joven Hernando."  _Who is technically me. Oo, ganun na nga kagulo kagulo._

Cat nodded with a brilliant smile. "Ah, oo! Kumpleto ko yung mga nakapublish niyang libro at nasa archives din yung original manuscripts niya - nadonate kasi ng anak niya... lolo mo siguro sa tuhod?"

"Ah, oo lolo ko sa tuhod."  _At anak ko din noon._ He did hear his father tell him about the bad memories that Joven II had regarding the journals and manuscripts that were left in his care.

"Totoo bang may mga nawawala siyang mga journals at sulat?" Cat asked anxiously while she searched for pen and paper in her desk drawer.

Joven felt cold drops of sweat trickling down his spine. The question hit  _too_ close to home. "Ganun na nga. Actually yun yung reason kung ba't andito ako. Nalaman kasi namin na hindi pala sinunog yung mga unang journals niya, pero may nagtago daw. Hindi ko lang din alam kung sino, o saan, pero may binigay na clue sa akin yung... ah, family friend siguro."

He couldn't find any other benign words to describe the man who managed to break into Manaoag before him, unlock the box and lock it again before Joven did.  _Ni wala man nga siyang susi._

"Oh shit.  _Daig ne pa ing Da Vinci Code, ne?" Daig pa niya yung Da Vinci Code ano?_ Cat's eyes gleamed as she scribbled down the new information. "So anong iniwan na... clue... sayo?"

Joven almost memorized the words on the index card. "C. Garcia, _Museo ning Angeles_ ,book reference number 1090915, page 15."

Cat blinked. "Ba't kilala niya ako?" She frowned and pulled out a log book from a shelf behind her. "Book reference number 1090915... Joven Hernando manuscript yan pero isa lang ang naghiram nito magmula nung nagtrabaho ako dito five years ago..."

Joven felt his hands clamming up, and he clenched his fists nervously.  _P... sino si P? Paul Ridel? Ibang tao nanaman?_

It felt like forever before Cat looked up at him. "May kilala ka bang Paul Ridel?"

There it was again, that name being thrown around. He was most definitely the  _P_ who also left behind the index card. Was he still alive, then? He must have been as old as Joven's grandfather at the least.

"Hindi masyado, pero alam ko by name." Technically true, he noted.

Cat nodded and shuffled off to a far off shelf, and for the first time, Joven noted that a gun was hanging from a holster on her belt. She didn't seem to be the violent sort though especially as she was working for the city museum, so it must have been mainly for self defense.

"Ah, yung manuscript ng interview sakanya ni Presidente Quezon!" Cat frowned as she squinted at the book. "Hindi ko pa nabasa to, ang hirap hanapin sa bookstores to be honest... naskim ko pa lang tong manuscript noon, hindi kasi ganoon kaorganized eh."

Joven smiled. He lost all sense of organization after the war. "Ah, at anong laman ng page fifteen?" Despite recalling what he went through, he would have no way of remembering his writings word for word. No writer ever did.

"May na-underline sa red ink - si Ridel yung naglagay nito, sigurado ako. Black ink lang ang ginamit sa lahat ng mga manuscripts ng ninuno mo." Cat scowled at the offending page. "Bawal yun ah. Ah, eto lang yung passage na naunderline niya ng buo.  _Alam ko kung saan siya nakahimlay."_

He frowned, trying to recall that conversation - it was still difficult to reconcile the fact that Manuel Quezon was now his cousin... and not a Quezon anymore. "Yung ninuno ko yung nagsabi nun," he finally said. "Tungkol sa libingan ni Eduardo Rusca."

Cat nodded. "Binasa mo din mga libro niya, ano?"

 _Ako yung sumulat, miss._ "Parang ganun na nga." Joven smiled, feigning ignorance.

She frowned at the page again and cleared her throat. "May mga letters din na nakaunderline dito. Paabot naman ng notepad ko, isusulat ko lang."

Joven did as he was told, and watched with fascination and curiosity as she scribbled down the clues left behind for him. They came up with three sentences.  _Alam ko kung saan siya nakahimlay. Tignan mo ang likuran ng Nuestra Señora del Santísimo Rosario de La Naval de Angeles sa Center for Kapampangan Studies. At tandaan niyo, hindi pa natapos sa Don Bonifacio ang problema niyo dahil may tatlo pa._

"Grabe naman to, ang lakas ng trip niya," noted Cat. "Anong may tatlo pa?

He blinked, wondering what that reference to Don Bonifacio was... and then remembered that it was where Andres Bonifacio's doppleganger was defeated.  _May tatlo pa... may tatlo pang anino?_

"Hindi ko din alam anong tatlo to," he finally said. Well, he wasn't sure yet, anyway. "Pero salamat ha?"

Cat still looked as baffled as he felt when he left the archive room.

**Tuesday, 01-05-16, 6:00 PM, Brgy. Pulung Bulo**

Well, at least he wasn't the only baffled one. The rest of the team seemed to also have some trouble with comprehending the clues that he was presented with. He told them everything he could, especially the fact that the unknown entity known as Paul Ridel - who was most likely the same  _P_ who also left notes and odd clues for the other members of the team - had some sort of knowledge when it came to the supernatural beings and events that surrounded them.

Rusca exchanged glances with Nena, who had visited them for dinner. "So kung si Paul Ridel si  _P -_ yung P na nagiwan ng drawings at kung anu-ano para sakin - bakit ang dami niyang alam tungkol sa atin? At gaano na siya katanda? Imortal din ba?"

"Andyan sina Goyong at Ka Andres. Hindi naman siguro malayo," noted Nena.

Paco ran a hand through his hair. "Pero ano yung tatlo pa? Tatlo pang anino, ganun? May kinalaman ba to dun sa  _she's watching you and me_ na sinasabi niya dun sa index card?"

"Dios mio patatas, ayokong lumaban sa babae," Goyong said tiredly. "Wag babae, por favor."

"Kailangan natin ng magandang excuse para makakuha ka ng access sa Kapampangan Center kahit di ka staff at hindi ka na estudyante sa HAU," Etong piped up suddenly. "Alam ko nasa loob ng campus yun, diba?

Ah, yes, that would be another problem to face.

Jay smiled devilishly. "History teacher dun yung ex ko. Ako nang bahala diyan." She cut off Goyong before he could air out a protest - there was a mutinous look on his face already. "Wag kang magalala, di ko naman lalandiin o ano. Ikaw talaga, wala naman akong landi powers."

"Last resort lang yung paghingi ng access mula kay Miguel," Joven said sharply. He detested his sister's ex boyfriend. Goyong treated her much better - treated her like a queen and an equal.

**Friday, 01-08-16, 10:00 AM, Tea-rad Pass**

He still hadn't come up with a way to get into the Center for Kapampangan Studies. He didn't even know where to start looking for options. He focused on his work instead, keeping a nervous eye out for more dopplegangers or Angela Buencamino, who hadn't returned since that Tuesday.

He wondered if he would ever see her again - until he realized that their paths would definitely cross. It seemed to be something that reincarnated individuals tended to do. They always found people who were connected to them in another time, in another life. They may have been different people born in different circumstances in the present era, but they were still the same, deep down.

And maybe, just maybe, this was their way of finally getting a shot at having a happy ever after. Or maybe he was just a fool who was indulging himself in wishful thinking.

He dared to venture out of his office that day and decided that the coast was clear enough for him to hang around the bar. He loved watching the customers walking in and out of the cafe, and the daily, hopefully humdrum routines that they involved themselves in.

"Strawberry vanilla frappe, extra whipped cream with caramel and mint bits," Goyong said idly as he set down the rug he used to regularly clean his work area. "Malambing, definitely. Medyo unusual ang taste, tignan mo naman yung caramel and mint bits oh. Mukhang opposites attraact ano? Maganda naman yung ategirl eh."

Joven stared at him incredulously, wondering just what he was trying to tell for a good few minutes. "Huy, del Pilar, walang foul," he hissed.

Rusca - who was in charge of the counter that day - leaned over the waist-high shelf dividing him and Goyong, a cat-like smile on his face. "So ito ba yung babaeng nagpatameme sayo nung minsan? Yung may hot pink na buhok daw?"

"Bubblegum pink, babes." Goyong shook his head. "Wag ka nang mahiya, normal lang magkaroon ng crush. At normal lang din namang mainlove if ever man na umabot doon sa mga susunod na araw."

Joven looked down. It was normal for most other people, he knew that. But he wasn't even sure that he was in love with Angela Buencamino during their past life. He knew that he had so much affection for her but he had no one to talk to about his feelings back then. He hoped that his friends would be kind enough to guide him if ever that things went that way with him and Angela in the present era. He didn't even know why he was thinking so much in advance, though. They only encountered each other for a grand total of one time, and  _that_ went nowhere at all.

_Suntok sa buwan nga lang ata naman lahat to eh. Oh well._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Pasensya na po, sa sobrang pagka fluster at rattle sa mga pangyayari kagabi at nakalimutan ko magupdate. Huhu.


	12. Crazy = Genius

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Joven fights off his nostalgia.

_He drowned in river upon river of words, committing memories to ink and paper, traveling the ravaged Manila as the it picked itself up after years of revolution against the Spanish. He was sent to talk to citizens who have been affected by the battles around them._

_He threw his very being into his work, focused on feeling what the people felt. He was thankful that he wasn't there to experience any of their troubles first hand, but he empathized with the people. He learned from his new job that war seldom was as glorious as the books made them out to be._

_The work also helped him in staying distracted from the pangs of guilt and longing brought about by thoughts of home._

_It was also there that he realized just how priviledged and sheltered he and his brother were raised, despite their family's military preferences. He supposed that it was the reason why he would never make a good soldier. Then again, there were other ways for him to serve the country. He would be the person who would always fight for the truth to come out to the masses. People should not be raised in naivety like he was._

* * *

**Friday, 01-08-16, 1:30 PM, Tea-rad Pass**

He didn't know what he was supposed to do - or feel - when he saw Angela Buencamino walking through the cafe entrance. He was busy helping Goyong clean the bar when he spotted her distinctly bright pink hair. He nearly dropped the coffee mug that he was putting in place when she smiled at him. He smiled back, hoping that he didn't look like a constipated idiot while she hopped off to place her order.

Jay gave him a knowing look, and he gave her a glare in response. It's been a very long time since he last felt the urge to bicker with his sister but there he was, resisting the temptation. He looked down and continued arranging the coffee mugs while Goyong began to work on orders again.

"Huy, ako nang bahala diyan," the boy general insisted while he grabbed a clean frappe glass. "Samahan mo na yung crush mo."

"Gago ka," Joven shot back, his cheeks burning red.

He took his sweet time in getting everything organized before he stood up and noticed Angela perched on a bar seat yet again. Her eyes were trained on him, a small grin playing upon her lips. He had no choice but approach her.

"Hello," he began.

"Hello," she echoed. "Bigla ka nalang tumakbo nung minsan." She wasn't as softspoken as she was before, but there was still that soft timbre melding with the awfully familiar lilt of her voice.

He looked down, fighting back the ridiculous smile forming on his face. "M-May naalala kasi akong dapat asikasuhin nun eh."

She nodded in understanding. "Ah. Kaya naman pala. So... hindi ko nga pala nakuha ng maayos yung pangalan mo nung minsan."

"Joven Hernando V," he said self consciously.

Her eyes widened upon recognizing his name. "Joven Hernando... as in yung wartime journalist?"

He looked down and nodded. "Oo, descendant niya ako."

"Kaya pala! May kopya kasi ako ng mga books niya... ano, natake kasi ako ng Secondary Education tapos nagmajor din sa Social Studies," she began before talking abou the merits of her course and lamenting the fact that she was unemployed because she was simply working for her mother's business.

Her train of thought easily moved from one topic to another but he didn't mind trying to keep up with her. She was still as  _interesting_ as ever, despite the fact that he had no idea about her at all in this lifetime. She trailed off in the middle of discussing the taste of milk on cotton candy as she noticed his stare. Her excited grin fell into a pout.

"Napasobra nanaman ba yung sinabi ko? Pasensya na," she began.

He blinked, realizing that he looked like he was spacing out as he was focusing too much on her words. "Hindi naman, actually sa totoo lang natutuwa ako," he noted.

She didn't seem to buy that. "Nangaasar ka na ata eh. Lagi nga akong pinagtatawanan kasi ang daldal ko."

"Hindi!" He shook his head and smiled at her. "Gusto ko nga yan eh, yung madaldal."

He realized too late that he said too much. At least she didn't seem to mind the fact that he did.

He had no idea how long they talked as he enjoyed exchanging opinions with her on a wide range of matters too much. At least it helped him get over his apprehension, terror, and guilt over everything that happened between them during their past lives.

**Friday, 01-08-16, 3:30 PM, Holy Angel University Yellow Court**

Jay, Goyong, Rusca, and Nena were waiting for him outside of the cafe by the time that he got all the weekly paperwork sorted out. None of them looked impatient - as a matter of fact, they all looked tense. He had no idea why they were so nervous, if he was to be honest with himself. There was no doubt that he wanted to punch the living daylights out of Miguel Santos for hurting his sister during their college days, but he would never be scared of that man.

"Huy, kalma lang ha? Hihingi lang tayo ng access sa Kapampangan Center, di tayo naghahanap ng away," Goyong was saying. He didn't seem to believe what he was saying, though. "Dios mio patatas, daig niyo pa yung sasabak sa digmaan."

Jay's hands were shaking in barely supressed rage - like a young volcano eager to erupt. Joven wondered if they would have to restrain his sister before she starts to brandish her favored knives. He just hoped that Goyong's presence would be enough to soothe her if necessary.

Nena frowned. "Pano kung hindi siya papayag? Mukhang may bad blood kayo ng Miguel na to ah."

"Meron nga," Rusca told her grimly. He didn't look as tense as he sounded, though.

The group made their way to the university, where Miguel would be meeting them after his class. For some reason, Joven was uneasy about the entire arrangement - not because of Miguel himself, but because of the possible reason that something nasty and definitely dangerous could be lurking in the campus, watching their movements. He had a vague feeling that they would get into some kind of trouble before the day is over.

It's a pleasantly cool day, and throngs of students passed by them on their way to the designated meeting place - the Yellow Court, one of the more popular cafeterias in the university. Looking around the area sent a pang of nostalgia spiralling into his gut. He was no college student anymore, and it yet it felt like he was a boy who was still lost as to what he should have been doing with his life. Bigger things were snowballing him from one point to another, like they did in the past, and he wasn't too happy with that.

No, he was going to hold his ground this time. He would let no one else dictate hsi fate again. He was his own man.

The Yellow Court was crowded that day especially as high school students were dismissed early during Fridays.

Seeing the carefree students hanging around and laughing with Rusca and their other friends, sometimes accompanied by his sister and her own little clique. Gone were the days when he was just a carefree boy whose only problem was how to save up his allowance. He was part of something bigger and more complicated than what most other young men the same age as he was would probably face in this current point of their lives.

_Hindi lang ang sitwasyon ko ang nagbago._

He exchanged glances with Rusca, who seemed to be feeling the same pang of nostalgia as he did. He grinned at his best and oldest friend. "Naaalala mo pa ba nung naligo ka ng ice cold Milo dito?" he asked with a grin.

"Sinusubukan kong hindi alalahanin," Rusca replied with a wince. "Alam mo namang pinagtawanan ako ng buong St John nun."

"Alam ko, malamang nasa St John din tayo," Joven retorted with a grin.

A shadow fell over them and he looked up to see Miguel Santos standing over them, trying hard to look as dignified as he could in his crisp blue teacher's uniform. He had a bemused smile on his face when he apparently realized just how big of a group was waiting for him. "Ah, ang dami niyo pala," he noted, probably trying to sound as nonchalant as he could.

Jay opened her mouth to say something, but to everyone's surprise,  _Nena_ actually managed to stop her before she did, all with a simple hand on the wrist. "Mamaya na yan, hanap ka nalang ng pwedeng tagain sa labas," she said with a small, mischievous grin.

Miguel sat between Joven and Rusca, as if blissfully ignorant of the discomfort that he was causing the entire group. A brightly white smile was plastered on his face as he regarded all of them. "So, anong kailangan niyo sakin at biglang nagtext itong si Eduardo sakin na gusto niyo daw akong makausap?" He paused as his eyes flickered to Jay and Goyong. "Wag niyong sasabihing may kasamang wedding invitation to?"

Irritation briefly clouded Joven's thoughts, but he knew that he had to keep his feet on the ground and prevent any unpleasant outbursts from Goyong and Rusca. He was as offended as either men - possibly even more so than Goyong - but they can't jeopardize the mission.

"Wala  _pa_ namang kasalan dito," he said firmly. "Pero kailangan namin ng tulong mo."

Miguel raised an eyebrow. "Tulong? Bakit naman?  _Kasaman yuku kaya siguradu kung importante ya ini." Kinamumuhian niyo ako kaya sigurado akong importante ito._

"Sobrang importante." Goyong seemed to be following Joven's lead in staying eerily calm. He was also doing a better job at it too - maybe it was because of his past occupation as a general. "Mr. Santos, ayaw din naming makaabala pero kailangan namin ng access sa Center for Kapampangan Studies."

Miguel peered at him quizzically. "I remember you. Ikaw si Greg, diba? Yung boyfriend ni Jay?"

"Ganun na nga." Goyong's stare was calm enough - but there was a glint of something steely and dangerous in it. The general in him was resurfacing in a good way. Even his accent shifted subtly, sounding older, more refined, and infinitely more threatening. "Ilang oras na access lang naman ang kailangan namin."

"Wag ka nang magtanong kung anong makukuha mong benefit diyan. Alam kong history buff ka," Joven added, a sudden stroke of inspiration hitting him as he heard Goyong speak.  _Alam naman nila dito kung sino ako._ "May nireresearch kami tungkol sa mga nawawalang documents ng ninuno ko. May posibilidad pang mapublish yung mga to sa wakas."

Miguel lapsed into stunned silence. He stared at them, at a loss for words. His eyes flickered from face to face, as if expecting one of them to deny the claim. When no one did, his expression morphed into that of mad excitement.

"We have a deal."

**Bonus**

**Saturday, 01-09-16, 3:00 AM, Brgy. Pulung Bulo**

_Rusca wasn't sure why he was dreaming such dreams that night, but there he was, seeing himself lying in the middle of the forest that he knew and loved in his previous life. He was bound and gagged and alone except for the shadowy figure that stood over him._

_"Hindi ko inaasahan na ganito ka pala, Kapitan Rusca. Akala ko'y kasing bilis kang magbago ng ihip ng hangin." The man's lilting cadence was old fashioned - akin to that of the people from the days of the revolution. "Ibigay mo sa akin ang mapa at makauuwi ka pa sakanya. Sakanila."_

_He spat out the gag and growled ferally. "Wala akong hawak na mapa, gago."_

_The man leaned over him, peering at him with dark, wild eyes. "Ayaw mong magsalita? Eh kung paiyakin kita?"_

_"Bakit hindi mo subukan?" he asked in mad amusement. There was nothing else to do but laugh in the face of potential death._

_He did not even scream or cry when his foe carved a madman's smile on his lips and face._

_He would not give his foe any kind of satisfaction._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Center for Kapampangan Studies = Formal name ng lugar  
> Kapampangan Center = tawag ng mga students
> 
> Just for reference, alam ko eh libre ang access dito for anyone with a temporary or school id, except yung mini educational theater sa taas nung library na 10 pesos ata yung bayad.


	13. Alert the Armory

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Joven ends up in a lull before the storm.

_Of course, it was only a matter of time before war broke out yet again - this time against the Americans. He heard word of his father being raised to the rank of Major during the opening battles. Most of the people in the paper have already gone home to their family, fearing for their lives, but not him. He wanted to let the masses know what was truly going on out there._

_"Kay sipag mo naman para sa isang baguhan, Ginoong Hernando," his superior said._

_"Mahalaga po ang katotohanan, lalo na sa panahong ito," he replied._

* * *

_As one of the few remaining journalists, he was sent to secure an interview with Luna himself, the fiery General who was starting to gain even more renown not just for being a brilliant military commander but also for his terrifying temper. Joven was absolutely terrified of meeting with the nigh legendary man but he couldn't deny that he was excited either._

_He arrived in the camp behind the trenches at dawn. It was full of soldiers who were off duty, all in varying stages of exhaustion and unkemptness. The smell of strong coffee and smoke and blood permeated the air. The cries of the injured men being treated by the Cruz Roja interspersed with the muted hustle and bustle of the camp._

_A pair of rough looking soldiers approached him as he made his presence known._

_"Uy, bakit may naliligaw na bata dito?" one of them asked._

_The other man leered at him. "Gusto mo bang sumali sa hukbo? Naku, wag ka nang mag-abala. Mamamatay ka lang agad, sa itsura mong iyan pa lamang nakasisigurado na ako."_

_"Anak ako ni Komandante Hernando," he argued. "Nandito ako upang makausap ang Heneral para sa aking peryodiko."_

_They burst into laughter. "Anak ng komandante? Ikaw?"_

_"Anong kaguluhan ito?" a quiet but commanding voice broke through their maddened giggles._

_A tall, imposing bear of a man stepped forward, his face a mask of calmness. A marginally shorter, slimmer man who was probably thge same age as Joven hovered right behind the larger one, a revolver in hand._

_The soldiers saluted the two men, changing countenance quickly. "Nanghihimasok kasi sa kampo itong batang ito. Anak daw ng Komandante at naghihiling na kausapin ang heneral." That quickly broke their composure and they ended up laughing again._

_Neither of the newcomers seemed to be pleased with that behavior._

_"Eh anong nakakatawa diyan? Putangina!" the younger man growled._

_The bulky man shook his head sadly. "Makararating ito sa Heneral." He turned to Joven. "Anak ni Komandante Hernando?"_

_Joven nodded._

_"Ako si Koronel Roman at ito si Kapitan Rusca. Nasabihan kami na darating ka ngayon. Halika, ihahatid ka namin sa Heneral upang makapag usap na kayo."_

_"Maraming salamat po, Koronel."_

_Stomach churning, he followed the two men to the General's hut, heart pounding as a quiet sense of apprehension took over him._

* * *

**Saturday, 01-09-16, 7:30 AM, Brgy. Pulung Bulo**

He didn't sleep much that night. Excitement and anxiety ate him up inside, making him toss and turn in his bed as he made up scenarios as to what he would find in the center. Of course, there was also the niggling feeling that someone sinister would be waiting for them once he finds whatever is supposed to be hidden in the place.

He worried that there would be another doppleganger lying in wait. The man in Manaoag was most likely one - and the girl in the church was probably connected to them too.

He eventually gave up on his efforts and got up, tiptoing out of the room to avoid waking Rusca who was sleeping on the far side.

Vince Enriquez was sitting at the bottom most step downstairs, working on something or another with his laptop. He looked up as Joven approached and smiled. "Ang aga mong nagising ah."

Joven shrugged tiredly. "Hindi man nga ako nakatulog kagabi."

"Excited ka na bang pumunta dun sa Center?" Vince turned back to his laptop, a small frown creasing his face. "Sinubukan kong magresearch tungkol sa center pero wala naman akong mahanap na related sa nawawalang documents mo."

He nodded in understanding. Few people outside of those who probably spent their lives studying history knew of his missing notes' existence, which were only made known in the past due to his conversations with Presidents Quezon and Osmena.

It made him wonder, yet again, at the nature of these first works of his and what heavy information his past life knew aside from the truth behind Luna's murder.

He sat by the bay window after exchanging greetings with a stressed Nonong, who was too busy poring over a boatload of upcoming quizzes. He stared outside, wondering where he was going to get snowballed to again. For all his thoughts on holding his ground, it seemed like circumstances all but forced him to be thrown from one situation to another to get what he needs.

"Kuya?" Nonong asks, breaking his train of thought. "Ayos ka lang ba?"

Joven nodded, though he wasn't entirely sure that he was fine. "Naramdaman mo na ba na parang ang bigat na bagay sa atin ng pagiging... ganito? Yung pagiging reincarnated natin? Para bang pilit natin pinapantayan yung mga dating sarili natin pero at the same time parang nanlalaban tayo na maging iba sa kanila?"

"Ito yung dahilan kung bakit masaya na akong hindi Quezon ang apelido ko," the boy noted sadly. "Mas konting bagay na lang yung inaasahan ko sa sarili ko - para bang hindi na necessary sa akin na mapantayan yung legacy ko noon. Pero nararamdaman ko din yan. Madalas." He looked down. "Ngayon ko nga lang narealize kung bakit hindi ako nagtake ng law related na course eh. Kahit na di ko pa naaalala nung time na yun, gusto ko palang lumayo kay President Quezon."

He nodded, understanding how his cousin felt. "Siguro nakatulong din na naaalala natin ano? Para hindi na natin maulit yung mga pagkakamali natin noon."

"Siguro nga." Nonong smiled. "Nakakatulong nga ata."

**Saturday, 01-09-16, 10:45 AM, Holy Angel University**

They were back in campus, waiting for Miguel in the Main Building's iconic pink-tiled courtyard, sitting cross-legged on the tiled bench surrounding one of the trees. This time Joven was accompanied by Jose, Nonong, Etong, and Paco. None of the three seemed to feel tense, but Joven felt like a tautly drawn bowstring.

Something was going to happen when they finally get the next item or clue, he was sure of it.

Miguel strode toward them from the finance office, impecabbly dressed in a green dress shirt and slacks. He beams at them, still looking as sleazy as ever. He raised an eyebrow dramatically as he saw Joven.  _"Aliwa naka nanaman kayabe ngeni?" Iba nanaman ang kasama mo ngayon?_

Joven shrugged.  _"Atin lang pagkabalan deng aliwa kung kayabe bale." May pinagkakaabalahan ang mga iba kong kasama sa bahay._

Miguel nodded self importantly, smoothing down his shirt before handing five tickets to the group. "Ayan, visitors' pass. Enjoy." A small smirk quirked up his face. "Please do remember to credit me, ha?"

**Saturday, 01-09-16, 11:00 AM, Center for Kapampangan Studies**

There were so many things to see beyond the foyer - so many things to study and peer at. As a student, he was always busy with schoolwork and never had any time to fully explore the place. Now that he had the opportunity to, it seemed like he had to hold back one more time so that he could get his hands on whatever it was that he was supposed to be looking for.

The replica of the  _Nuestra Señora del Santísimo Rosario de La Naval de Angeles,_ one of the multiple patrons of the city, was highly visible in the entrance area. Though multiple replicas of religious icons lined the wall in front of them, its gold-threaded dress stood out.

The icon stared at them, as if she was judging them on their choices and on what they were about to do. Manuel and Nonong stood watch behind them, while Jose and Etong accompanied Joven to the central alcove that held the Lady. Joven felt a chill down his spine as he inspected the statue, wondering what it could be hiding.

"Sa tingin mo kailangan nating nakawin yan?" Jose asked with a frown.

"Wag naman sana," Joven murmured. "Pero hindi ako sigurado na tama yung ginagawa natin. I mean, may CCTV dito, diba?"

"CCTV lang pala eh." Etong looked up from his phone with a grin. "Nadisable na namin ni Nonong, kanina pa sa labas."

So  _that's_ why he insisted on taking his laptop with him.

Joven nodded in approval and peered once more at the statue. He was lucky that the icon in question was placed on one of the lowest alcoves, else he would have needed to climb. He leaned over the statue's shoulder, fighting hard not to cough as he breathed in the faux hair's musky scent. 

He spotted a very small wedge of folded pink paper cleverly concealed at the seams of the statue's dress. He gingerly fished it out, wincing as he came in contact with the statue's oily locks. It was definitely an unpleasant sensation, but definitely more than bearable.

He pulled out the piece of paper and brandished it to the rest of the team. It seemed to be fairly recent, as the paper did not have a crisp quality yet. He unfolded it to see a note written in  _baybayin._

"Pakitranslate kung kaya niyo, please?" he said, brandishing it to his two companions.

"Pre, kinakalawang na ako diyan," Jose argued.

Etong took the paper gently, almost reverently.  _"Sa oras na mabasa niyo ito, nasa Angeles na ang ikalawang anino. Magiingat kayo. Pumunta ka ilalim ng tahanan niyo at hanapin ang larawan mo mula sa nakaraan."_ He paused and looked up. "Tangina, ano to, treasure hunting?"

"Well, parang ganun na nga," Joven said with a wince.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For reference lang, Rusca is 26-ish na nung giyera pero dahil medyo payat siya mukha siyang mga 5 years younger hehe.


	14. A Daydream Away

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Joven makes a discovery.

_Staying in Luna's camp made him realize just how much of a terrible business the war truly was. The cries of injured soldiers permeated the air in the most unexpected moments, and even medics and some camp followers got hurt at times. What truly jarred him, though, was the fact that everyone in the camp seemed to be unfazed by the pain and chaos and sorrow that surrounded them._

_Aside from writing down the articles that he regularly sent to his boss via messenger, he also started to create a journal. It contained everything in his interviews and observations, and also included his own personal experiences and opinion on everything that was going on around him. It also included profiles on the general and his four aides - Paco Roman, Eduardo Rusca, and Jose and Manuel Bernal. He also took down notes on another of the general's allies, General Alejandrino._

_After that unpleasant experience during his first day, the entire camp began to treat him in better terms - as a matter of fact, within just a few weeks, Luna seemed to trust him enough to let him into his inner circle and let him into strategic meetings. It gave him an insight not only on the country's situation in the war, but also of the general's famed brilliance, which was not diminished one bit by his equally legendary temper._

* * *

_It was a warm summer's evening, and he was finishing his journal in the general's command hut. It was a quiet night, which helped him gather his thoughts on the current situation of the war._

_He was nearly finished when the sound of the door opening startled him. He looked around to see Eduardo Rusca, arms laden with rolled up maps. The captain smiled at him as he set down the maps on a vacant table. "Magandang gabi, Ginoong Hernando," he said cheerily. "Kumain ka na ba? May natira pa atang ensaymada, pagdadala na lamang kita kung gusto mo._

_"Magandang gabi din po, Kapitan." Joven smiled and looked up briefly to acknowledge him. "Ayos lamang po ako, wag na kayong magabala."_

_"Kahit Eduardo nalang ang itawag mo sa akin." Rusca's smile never faded from his face as he headed right for Joven. Unlike the rest of Luna's aides, he had a rougher, sharper accent of someone who was not raised in the Bulacan and Manila areas. "Rusca nga lang ang tawag sa akin ng mga ibang kasapi sa hukbo eh."_

_"Kung ganoon ay tawagan niyo na lang din po ako sa aking pangalan." Joven smiled, finishing his work slowly._

_Rusca nodded sagely. "Pag minsan pakiramdam ko'y magtatagal ang digmaang ito. Kung sakaling lumala man ito, baka hindi ligtas para sayo ang pagalis sa kampo. Ngayon pa nga lamang ay parang di ka na makaalis dito. Hindi ka ba nangungulila sa pamilya mo?"_

_Joven shrugged, trying to look nonchalant. "Kusa akong umalis ng tahanan ko." He shook his head and smiled. "Uuwi din ako sa tamang panahon, kung mamarapatin ng nasa itaas. Ikaw ba, kapitan? Nangungulila ka na ba sa pamilya mo?"_

_"Ganoon na nga. Pero kahit mahal ko ang asawa't anak ko, alam kong kailangan kong gawin ang tungkulin ko sa Inang Bayan." Rusca smiled. "Gaya mo."_

_Was he truly putting his life on the line for the country, or for himself?_

**Saturday, 01-09-16, 1:15 PM, Angeles City Proper**

The weekend traffic was  _terrible_ that day. Angry pedestrians and drivers shouted and cursed at each other as the short trip home lengthened to what was soon going to be a half hour battle. Sitting behind the wheel, Joven took to speculating about the new message instead.

To be honest though, he could barely squeeze out more than what he and the rest of his companions knew so far. There was also that insistent feeling that he should  _know_ who Paul Ridel was. Not  _know_ in the sense that they were somehow acquainted either in the present or the past, but in the sense that he should have at least heard or read of the person in question before.

His thoughts strayed to Angela once again. She was still quite interesting, despite the fact that she was far from the demure young lady that he was acquainted with in the past. He wondered what it would take to trigger her memories - if only for him to be able to legitimately apologize to her.

Nonong, who was sitting beside him, let out a long, exaggerated yawn. "Kuya, buksan ko yung radyo ah."

"Sige lang." He switched on the car radio to a random network as he was not really the type who listened to radio music. He prefered listening to the music he saved on his phone.

The upbeat music filled the car, thankfully appeasing the restless Nonong. Joven also realized that the music helped calm his nerves, momentarily relaxing him for the time being. He let himself be drowned in the music as his car stayed stalled. No one spoke for a while, everyone being too full from their lunch, drowsy, and also quite tense from the ominous message that they found. Even in Joven's somnolent state, there was a part of him that felt on edge because of the fact that there was another potential doppleganger lurking in his city.

"Pero alam mo, kung sigurong nilinis na natin nung holidays yung basement siguro hindi na natin kinailangang umabot sa ganyan," noted Jose. His eyes drooped with every word but it seemed like he was resisting the urge to sleep.

"Pero alam mo naman, walang coincidence sa atin," Etong reminded him. He leaned back and yawned loudly. "Planado halos lahat eh."

Joven nodded as the traffic moved ever so slightly yet again. "Pag minsan napapaisip din ako kung sino ba tong Paul Ridel na to at bakit ang dami niyang alam."

Was there something supernatural about this man? After everything he'd seen since Goyong arrived in Angeles, he was ready to believe that there could be a supernatural explanation for the odd occurences around him.

How impossible could it be for someone to know what he needed to do to get the future he wanted to happen? Was it as impossible as it was for a man to be someone who would always, always recover from any wound or illness or injury, as impossible as it was for a man to remain ageless and unchanging until he meets certain conditions?

**Saturday, 01-09-16, 2:30 PM, Brgy. Pulung Bulo**

He tried hard to fight off the stupor brought about by the lazy afternoon. The cold shower and fresh clothes helped, though his eyes still threatened to droop from exhaustion. Of course, this was all because of the lack of a good night's sleep that he subjected himself to due to overthinking.

He seemed to do that a lot.

Paco accompanied him to the basement. The older man was absolutely jumpy from the fact that his girlfriend would be stopping by for a visit later that day.

For some reason he felt his knees shaking as he rummaged around, looking for the painting in question. He never even knew that it existed - well, he never even knew that the painting that now hung in his cafe actually existed until he uncovered it from some crate or another.

The two of them rummaged around carefully labeled crates, wondering how they would know that they found the right one. There was just simply too much to sift through, and the labels on most of them were not helpful at all.

That was until he came across a box labelled  _Henson, 1973._ The hair on the back of his head prickled as he touched it, as if he came across something very important. It wasn't as terrible as the feeling that Rusca described when he came across his own grave, but it wasn't far behind. He found something relevant to his past - despite the fact that the item inside may have been made long after he died in the 60's.

Paco was crouched beside him, also peering at the box. "Tingin mo ito yun?" he asked worriedly. "Nangingilabot ka."

"Hindi ganoon kapositive pero importante to, sigurado ako," he mused. He dusted the box, holding his breath to make sure that he didn't end up in a terrible coughing fit.

His fingers trembled when he finally removed the upper portion of the box, revealing a perfectly preserved painting of his older self, maybe well into his forties or fifties. He remembered having a similiar photograph taken, which may have been used as basis for the artwork. It was painstakingly made, and the words  _In Loving Memory of a Good Father_ were stencilled in at the lower part of the gilded frame.

"Whoa, ikaw ba yan, Jovenito?" Paco asked, his eyes widening in sheer wonder.

Joven nodded, trying to find the right words to say. How would one react to an image of their long dead self, twice as old as they were in their current state?

He picked up the painting and revealed a battered, century old journal slash manuscript beneath it. Joven easily recognized it as the first journal he used during the war - the personal journal he used when he interviewed Antonio Luna.

"Ayokong magmura pero  _holy shit_ alam ko yung journal na yan," Paco said in awe. "Di ba ginamit mo yan nung giyera?"

Joven nodded. "Pero isa lang to. May dalawa pang nawawala. Naconfirm ko kay Goyong na nakuha niya lahat mula sa kuya ko. Tatlong journals yun."

"So... hindi pa tapos yung treasure hunt?" Paco asked.

He nodded. "Baka may naiwan na clues dito. Babasahin ko mamayang gabi."

Paco nodded with a grin. "Mabuti pa nga. Pero at least nahanap mo na yung isa, ano?"

Joven grinned back in spite of the exhaustion and pressure and anxiety and fear that ate him up over the past few days. "Mabuti na nga lang at yung paborito ko pa yung una kong narecover."

Paco patted his arm. "Mabuti na lang talaga. Tara akyat na tayo, baka hikain ka pa dito."

"Wala akong hika, huy!" he called out as he chased Paco out of the basement.

**Bonus**

**Saturday, 01-09-16, 4:00 PM, Brgy. Pulung Bulo**

Paco felt terribly anxious as he stood outside the gate, waiting for his girlfriend to arrive. He wasn't sure how he was supposed to calm the fluttering butterflies in his stomach, especially as he was going to introduce her to his friends for the first time in both lifetimes.

If the war never happened in the past, they could have been like this already - a group of young men from different walks of life who ended up being unlikely friends.

Or probably not.

Then again, that didn't diminish the fact that his friends were as good as his family in both lifetimes, and he was thankful for them. He hoped that they would get along well with Juliana, as he couldn't bear the fact that he might end up having to choose between them if things escalated horribly.

Maybe he was just being too paranoid.

A tricycle parked across the street from the house, and he watched with awestruck fascination as the lovely Juliana Piqueras -  _Jules_ for short - hopped out of it. She was still as lovely as he could remember, her glossy waves now tumbling down to her waves. Despite the fact that he accompanied her home every day, it always felt like he was seeing her for the long time in years whenever they met up with eaach other again.

She beamed at him and smoothed down her green shirt. She flicked away a stray lock of hair, hurriedly paid the tricycle fare, and dashed across the street. She was clutching a big tupperware lunchbox close to her a little anxiously.

"Kamusta ka na?" he asked, wrapping an arm around her waist and kissing her forehead.

She smiled back and kissed the stubble on his jaw. "Ikaw talaga, the usual parin syempre. Tignan mo nga oh, may dala akong pakwan pang merienda niyo."

He chuckled softly, well aware of her love for that summer fruit, and opened the gate. "Naninigurado lang."

A peal of her laughter filled the air, and he knew then and there that he wouldn't mind standing rooted on the spot forever just to hear it again and again. He may have been a madman in other people's eyes, but he knew that he was simply in love. He knew the woman that he would like the spend the rest of his life with - all the rest of his lifetimes with, if necessary.

All his worries regarding any potential issues between his friends and Jules were definitely unfounded. They easily took to Juliana - especially Jay and Nena who looked up to her as an elder sister immediately. He definitely knew that he was finally blessed with the best of both words - his ragtag bunch of misfits slash family, and the girl he loved in two lifetimes. Even Tonyo - now his uncle, to his horror and delight - adored his girlfriend.

He knew that he could finally make a move and propose to her. He just needed to find the right timing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Action at romance ba ang hanap niyo? Abangan next chapter <3


	15. Party Poison

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Joven ends up with girl trouble.

_He missed home and yet he resisted the temptation to send a letter, afraid of the reply - or the lack of one - that he would receive. His father had visited the camp quite a few times already and Joven made sure to avoid meeting him face to face. He did not wish to cause a scene, and neither did he want to get dragged back home by the ear like some child._

_Of course, it didn't mean that he didn't long for home. Home meant the comforts of four solid walls, a full meal every day, and servants to assist him with his every need. Home meant Angela, singing to him and watching him write with those sharp, intelligent eyes of hers. Home meant being young, being free of troubles, being sheltered. Home was childhood, innocence, naivety._

_He left home long before he even realized that he did._

* * *

_He never expected himself to be baptized by fire and blood - in a manner of speaking. Of course, it had to happen while the general and two of his aides were away with a great number of their troops. Terrible things always happened whenever the only people capable of mitigating them were not present._

_Fear gripped him when he headed out of the general's command hut where he was staying with the Bernal brothers while he finished the new report that he would be sending to his superiors. A large horde of American soldiers were making their way through the camp, slaughtering enemy forces left and right. No reinforcements could be relied upon from Quinga as a badly injured messenger announced that the del Pilar brigade was also under attack._

_He had to help. He could not, in good faith, remain hiding in the command hut while the other soldiers laid their lives around him. He may not have his father or brother's martial capabilities, but he had to do his part too. He snuck out of the hut, following Jose Bernal through the battlefield._

_Everything was a blur - he was sure that he managed to shoot and kill at least three Americans with a fallen soldier's gun until the tide of battle began to take a turn for the worse. His mind, his surroundings, the people around him were all made of nothing but chaos and desperation._

_The next thing he was aware of was of a fiery pain in his hand, and Luna hovering above him with a worried look. He couldn't understand what the general was trying to tell him. The pain made everything feel hazy._

_He drifted in and out of consciousness over the next few days. He dreamed of his parents, of his childhood. He dreamed of the life he lived before war and conquest and revolution changed it in ways both subtle and not. He dreamed of his parents, of his brother, of the love and resentment that he had for them. He dreamed of Angela, the way everything about and around her brightened up whenever she laughed or smiled._

_He missed home, longed for it, ached for it. Now that his taste for adventure was more than sated - as a matter of fact, he had been disheartened by the fact that it wasn't all glory and honor - he wanted to go back to how things were before he ran away. He knew that nothing would ever be the same - they just can't. Nevertheless, he wanted to go home once his job in the general's camp was over, find a place to settle down and plant the roots of a small family with Angela._

_It was a shallow dream, but it was something to hold on to, nevertheless. It was an incentive for him to make it out of his job and the war alive._

**Monday, 01-11-16, 2:15 PM, Tea-rad Pass**

He's spent the entire weekend poring over his ancient journal, nitpicking every small details, even the smallest scribbles and scratches on the fragile paper. He barely slept that night but even so, he barely made it to half of the documents.

He watched over his cafe that day with a persistent feeling of exhaustion, his recent lack of sleep finally catching up to him. His eyes drooped as he scribbled and finished the previous week's accounts.

It was well after lunchtime when he finally hauled himself out of his office, feeling as sore as if he were ninety again. His body ached miserably but he did not complain. He sat on his usual spot on the bar, oblivious to the fact that Rusca and Goyong both kept shooting worried glances at him. Neither of them spoke for a long time though, leaving him to doze off and space out for half an hour.

He was jolted out of his reverie by the tinkle of the wind chimes outside. He looked up to see Angela  _yet again,_ making her way to the counter with someone else in tow - Tina del Rosario. Their colorful hairtyles drew as much stares as Jay's vivid red one usually did. Angela's gaze flickered to him as they stood in the queue, and she smiled brightly at him.

It felt like his insides were going to explode from the sight of her. He couldn't help but smile back, though. She quickly sat down beside him right after placing her order, followed by a baffled Tina.

"Hi!" She was still smiling so brilliantly. "Kamusta ka?"

He shrugged. "Same old," he noted quietly. "Medyo haggard pero ayos lang."

Tina sat down beside her companion. "So  _ikaw_ pala yung kinukwento niyang sobrang friendly na staff dito?"

"Staff?" Goyong couldn't resist butting in as always while he set down their drinks. "Siya yung may ari nito."

Tina smirked. "Alam ko." She turned to Joven. "So pinopormahan mo ba yung kapatid ko?"

"Kapatid?" Joven asked politely. He was sure that the two introduced themselves on separate occassions with different family names.

Angela nodded with a small wince. "Naghiwalay mga magulang namin nung buntis si Mama sa akin kaya gamit ko yung apelyido niya." She leaned forward with a grin. "Kakabalik ko lang ng Pampanga last week mula Pangasinan, umalis kasi kami ng Guagua nina mama at lola pagkatapos kong maghigh school."

"Ah." At least that gave him a better understanding of her current incarnation's background. "Kaya pala."

"Buti nalang at ikaw yung unang naging kaibigan niya dito," Tina said earnestly, a feral smile on her lips. "Alam kong hindi mo gagaguhin yung kapatid ko."

**Monday, 01-11-16, 4:30 PM, SM Clark**

He wasn't sure how he ended up asking her out after his shift. He was well aware of Tina staring at him incredulously when he did. He also knew that she, along with Rusca and Goyong were watching him with varying levels of amusement.

It was just a friendly thing, of course. He really was just  _fascinated_ with the fact that the girl he left to die over a century ago was there with him in the flesh. And he had no idea how to make it up with her. Of course, he wouldn't dare touch her, hurt her in any way again. He learned from the mistakes of his past life.

"Buti nagyaya ka?" she asked, eyes trained on her phone as he searched for a suitable parking spot.

"Malaki ang utang na loob ko sa ate mo," he began. "Besides, mukhang hindi ka masyadong lumalabas."

"Hindi nga. Wala pa akong masyadong kilala dito." She shrugged. "Ayos lang naman, mabait kayo ng mga staff mo."

He smiled. "Hindi ko lang sila staff. Pamilya ko na din sila," he insisted. "Nakatira lang lahat kami sa iisang bubong."

She chuckled. "Mukhang masaya naman sa bahay niyo kung ganun - o apartment ba?"

"Bahay nga. Pero pag minsan nagmumukhang boarding house." He smiled. "Ikaw, nakatira parin ba kasama ng nanay at lola mo?"

She shook her head. "Nakikitira na ako kay Ate Tina, lumipat kasi siya dito mula San Fernando, pero palagi din siyang wala kaya parang akin lang din magisa yung bahay kadalasan."

He nodded in understanding. "Ganyan din kami nung buhay pa tatay ko."

She opened her mouth as if about to probe, hesitated, then squirmed. "Ganun pala." 

The mall wasn't brimming with people as it was a Monday afternoon, though there were a fair number of students in the mall. Joven tried to fight off the flurry of butterflies in his stomach whenever he saw other young couples in the place. It wasn't even a date - he just took her out partly out of friendliness, and partly out of guilt. The way he tried to impress her frustrated him - he wasn't in love, and most of the feelings he had simply lingered on from the old life he lead.

Sometimes separating the firs and the fifth Joven Hernando proved to be difficult for him. He wondered how his friends did it. He wondered what it meant for him.

"Ayos ka lang ba?" Angela asked, noticing that he was spacing out.

He blinked and turned to her, an apologetic smile on his face. "Pasensya na, may naisip lang."

"Ang lalim naman ata ng iniisip mo," she noted.

He decided to risk it. "Naniniwala ka ba sa reincarnation?"

"Reincarnation?" She paused and tapped her cheek. "Siguro ako yung nakaimbento ng mikmik noon!"

He laughed at that, not because he was mocking her, but because she provided him with the best way to release his tension - with humor.

**Bonus**

**Monday, 01-11-16, 6:00 PM, Jollibee-Sto. Rosario**

Jose just finished putting up the tarpaulin banner advertising his brother's bookshop, which was going to open very soon. It was situated right beside Tea-rad Pass, so he hoped that the cafe's luck would at least be shared with their new venture. He was doubly excited as the Enriquez brothers even decided to work jointly for them and Tea-rad Pass, taking care of securty and inventory systems.

Closing down the shop, he made his way to the nearest fastfood chain on foot, aware that Manuel probably won't be back from San Fernando for another half hour. He might as well as get his dinner while waiting for his brother.

He made his order and found himself sitting in one corner of the fast food chain, stomach growling angrily - a reminder that he hadn't eaten any proper food since he ran around on errands that morning. He felt sore and hungry and tired, and yet very fulfilled.

There was just that niggling ache of loneliness that he started to feel whenever he saw Goyong and Jay or Rusca and Nena running around. He also felt it whenever Manuel lamented over Gabriella's wrath and envy, and even when Joven talked about seeing Angela in the cafe.

He died a widower in his past life, and he wondered if he would ever see his former wife again. He loved her with all his heart back then, he did ever since they were children. She was intelligent and dangerous and even her uncle approved of them. He blamed himself for her death, for not being there when she was killed. He could have done something to help her. He was sure of that.

He closed his eyes, trying to clear away memories of the past. What was done was done. He gambled with fate - it was all he could do, as it seemed like he was always meant to be alone. Maybe that was why Catalina hadn't shown up yet. Or maybe he was going to die early yet again - who knew? He tried hard not to care, to cast his lot with fate instead. It was that way since Catalina died in 1896 and he wouldn't have it any other way for now. He just wouldn't.

He ate his meal in silence as he always did whenever he was deep in thought. He never spared his phone a glance - after all, his brother would know where to find him.

He was on his way out of the establishment when he spotted _her_ standing right outside, phone in hand. It was her, _Catalina Garcia in the flesh_ , looking at the distance as if waiting for someone to arrive. There was a small, vacant smile on her face. Her curly hair was a little longer than he remembered, but she was as lovely as ever, of course. He deliberated on whether he should approach her, take the most tempting gamble of his modern life - and chickened out.

He was too afraid to face the most haunting ghost of his past.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hell yes.


	16. The Kids From Yesterday

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Joven contemplates things. And gets involved an another layer of mystery.

_He was busy writing in his journal when news of the General's murder broke out in the camp. Luna and Roman were dead, and Rusca was arrested. The Bernal brothers on the run as they were wanted for treason, for conspiring with the General in an apparent plot to usurp the president's position. Lies, it was all lies, but then again they were propagated by the Luna's enemies in the government. It truly was a sad day when the president decided to trust them and let them into his inner circle._

_So much could have been done if Aguinaldo had just listened to Luna instead._

_It took him two more days to realize that they might be after him too - after all, he knew enough of Luna's strategies and actual plans. He was there in every meeting, and he also had those interview sessions. For all he knew, the articles he sent to his superiors could have been interecepted or twisted. He knew then and there that he had overstayed his welcome in the camp. He only brought a few belongings with him so there was no issue of packing up. He was already on his way out of the hut when the door flew open._

_Two soldiers marched into the hut, both bearing the insignia of colonels and aide de camps. One of them was a young man that was maybe a year or two younger than Joven, seemed a little too nervous about facing him. The other one was a woman who seemed ready to have her way with the sheer force of her personality._

_"Ginoong Hernando?" she asked in a brusque, businesslike tone. "Pinatatawag ka ng heneral."_

_Jose Alejandrino was the only general that he would trust aside from Luna, but Joven had a feeling that the woman was not refering to him. There was no other choice but to obey, of course._

_He set down his bag and followed the two soldiers across the camp, which was overrun by fresh troops. Few remained from Luna's men, as good number of them have either fled along with the Bernal brothers or deserted upon hearing that their general was dead, claiming that they would never serve anyone who may have had something to do with Luna's death._

_Dread filled his gut as he was led to the new general in charge of their camp. He wondered if it would be Mascardo, whose sheer presence would definitely cause more deserters._

_He nearly jumped out of his skin when he realized that the young man seated behind the desk in the central command hut was someone awfully familiar._

_It was his cousin's former suitor, Gregorio del Pilar._

_Joven never expected that - to be honest, he never associated the so called General del Pilar of Bulacan with Gregorio. He thought he was a brother, or some other relative. Seeing him there, sitting where Luna did, sent an odd feeling of betrayal upon Joven. Everyone knew of General del Pilar's undying loyalty to the president, and his penchant for festivities and women._

_Knowing him to be that quiet boy who was head over heels for his cousin years ago simply did not sit well with Joven. How could Poleng have thought so highly of him?_

**Wednesday, 01-13-16, 9:00 AM, Tea-rad Pass**

There was an odd set of numbers written in the corner of a page from his journal. Try as he might to wrack his memories, he could not figure out what it was or why he scribbled it there. His head ached already - there were three sets of digits but all the secret codes he knew and remembered did not seem to fit in.

Well, at least he listened to Etong's advice to actually get some sleep. He was finally functioning properly without the need to drink so much caffeine. He wondered whether Angela would be dropping by that day. She was quiet when they parted that previous Monday and hadn't gone to the cafe since then.

He worried that he either did something wrong or triggered her memories somehow.

Rusca clucked his tongue as he cleaned the countertop, a smile on his face. "Masyado ka kasing nagaalala," he scolded. "Tatanda ka ng maaga sa ginagawa mo."

Goyong made a face from across their station divider. "Alam mo kasi hindi marunong magalala itong si Ruscababes ko eh. Pero may punto siya, alam mo yun? Wag mong masyadong isipin kasi pag minsan hindi nakakatulong yun."

He smiled in amusement, pleasantly surprised that his two friends were acting like mother hens to him all of a sudden. That was his role in the team most of the time, especially whenever Paco was too busy or exhausted to worry over them all. "Hindi naman ako nagalala masyado," he insisted. "Nagtataka lang talaga bakit di wala na siyang masyadong sinabi."

"May girl problems na si Jovenito," Goyong teased as he set up his equipment. "Nagbibinata ka na sa wakas."

Rusca smirked. "Wag kang ganyan, bebelabs, baka magamitan ka niya ng judo flip."

Jay hopped out of the kitchen, the door held open by one of the working students that served as additional staff. She set down a tray laden with pastries on one of the glass display cases before turning to the three. "Anong meron? Bat ganyan mga hitsura niyo?"

"Mabuti nang wag mong alamin," Joven said with a wince.

The wind chimes outside tinkled, signalling the arrival of their first customer for the day. It was Bugallon, the young intern from the museum, his customary vacant smile on his face. He gave them a wave when he saw them and dashed right for the counter.

"Good morning! Break ko kasi tapos medyo matagal ko na din iniisip na pwede naman akong kumain dito," he said quickly. He looked like he was resisting the urge to jump up and down. "Nasakin parin yung business card niyo."

"Um, good morning din sayo," Rusca said with an absolutely bemused smile.

Goyong drummed his fingers on the countertop, observing the boy as he would a newly recruited soldier. He was calm and casual enough but there was a curious look in his eyes - he was _studying_ the boy. Despite usually appearing carefree - and surprisingly goofy and emotional after everything he went through in the past century - he was always as sharp as a tack.

"Ang dami namang pagpipilian dito," groaned Bugallon. "Bakit ganyan? Parang gusto kong subukan lahat."

Jay smiled at him. "May kilala akong ganyan," she said, elbowing Rusca's ribs painfully. "Kain ng kain, di naman tumataba."

Rusca rolled his eyes. "Sige, pagtutulungan niyo nanaman ako. I can feel it!"

"Masarap ka kasing pagtulungan," argued Goyong.

Bugallon still dithered on his order. "Chocolate meringue at... uy, suggestion naman sa inumin?"

"Mint cookies and cream frappe, extra sugar, mint syrup sa whipped cream?" Goyong asked idly. He really  _did_ have a skill with matching customers' drinks to their personalities, which may have something to do with his tenure as a general.

"Yes." Bugallon grinned angelically as he hauled himself to the bar seat right beside Joven. "Ito pala yung cafe niyo. Not bad!"

"Kamusta naman yung trabaho sa museo?" Joven asked. He still couldn't pinpoint why the boy seemed so familiar, and Rusca was quiet on the matter.

"Naloka ata si ate Cat dahil sainyo, nireview tuloy yung mga laman ng archives." Bugallon grinned at the memory that he was recalling. "Nacurious ata na baka may mga secret codes din, ganun."

"Nakow." Rusca shook his head after looking up from his next customer's orders. "Matrabaho yan."

Bugallon nodded. A dark look crossed his youthful face. He leaned forward, a small scowl creasing his forehead. "Wag kayong maweirdohan sakin o ano," he began. "Gusto ko sanang itanong kung... kung ano, naniniwala kayo sa reincarnation."

"Reincarnation?" Joven felt his skin tingle at the mere mention of the word. "Pag namatay ako isisilang ako ulit pagkatapos ng ilang oras, ganun?"

"Malapit na din dun," Bugallon said. "What if sinilang ka ulit after ng mahabang panahon?"

"Why not?" Rusca asked. He didn't seem fazed by the way that their discussion was heading to. "Di ba pag minsan nasasabi sa balita yun?"

"Teka, bakit mo nga ba natanong?" Goyong asked as he set down the boy's order.

Bugallon grinned and shrugged. "Ah, eh, ano, may ginagawa kasi akong research paper. Hindi naman for academic purposes pero... ah, malapit na pala akong ma-late!" He finished the rest of his food in silence before hopping off his seat and dashing back to the Museum before his break ended.

"Anyare dun?" Rusca asked, baffled.

"Hindi ko din alam," Joven said, the goosebumps on his arms lingering. "Pero parang may gusto siyang sabihin kanina."

**Bonus**

**Wednesday, 01-13-16, 1:45 PM, Tea-rad Pass**

There was finally a lull in the wave of customers, meaning that Goyong was finally able to relax a bit after the crowd that they had to deal with shortly after Bugallon ran off. He took the time to make sure that his station was clean though, making sure that he always did his job correctly. It was just something he carried over from his days as a soldier but he held on to it as one good thing that came out of his past.

He eventually ended up leaning against the bar while Rusca was chatting up some high school students. Joven was back in his office, meaning that he had no one to talk to. He surprised that wasn't comfortable with spending too much time alone with only his thoughts anymore.

A pair of customers stepped into the cafe - a pair of young men around his age who looked quite a lot like him. One of them he recognized as his once elder brother, Julian. The other one was marginally shorter, his hair longer and grungier, his face framed by glasses. The latter must have been the twin brother that Julian talked about during that day they met by the church.

He immediately straightened up, suddenly finding himself with an experienced soldier's ready stance. He wasn't sure why he was feeling so tense but there he was, afraid of the way that the other twin might suddenly judge him. He knew that they weren't related to each other anymore - or at least  _closely_ , but there was still that childish yearning for his siblings' approval.

He noticed Julian grinning at him from his spot by the counter. "Hi," he called out. "Naks brad, barista na barista ang dating mo ah."

Goyong smiled. "At least tahimik to at hindi ko kailangang magpagulpi araw araw," he tried to joke.

"Kakambal ko nga pala, si Julio," Julian said slowly, sounding a little anxious over mentioning it.

Julio smiled warily at Goyong, as if not exactly sure what to make of him. "Um, hi?"

"Huy, yung order niyo!" Rusca scolded. He didn't look annoyed though - as a matter of fact, there was a flicker of excitement in his eyes. "Mamaya na kayo makipaglandian kay bebelabs."

Julian squinted. "Pag minsan di ko maintindihan kung magkaibigan lang ba talaga kayo o may tinatago kayong affair." He shook his head and chuckled.

Julio rolled his eyes. "Ano pang silbi ng tunay na pagmamahalan kung dinadaan niyo lang naman ito sa sikreto at taguan?"

Goyong chuckled and shook his head. "Wala kang mararating sa sikreto at taguan kung hindi hinagpis. Ba't di ka nalang lumapit sakin? Akong bahala sayo." He winked.

"Mamahalin mo ba ako ng tunay at walang alinlangan?"

"Higit pa dun, beb. Higit pa."

Jay peered out of the kitchen, a small smirk on her face. "Ano ba lalabs, wag mo nga kaming pagpapalit ni Kuya Ed! Magkakaroon tayo ng sapakan eh!"

Julian's eyes flickered to her, though it seemed likehe didn't recognize who she was. It wasn't like he could be blamed for that, as there was something _fundamentally_ different about Jay despite the fact that she looked almost exactly like Poleng. "Ano ba yan, threesome na ba ang gusto mo ngayon, Gregorio?"

"Why have a threesome when you can have a moresome?" Goyong laughed and shook his head. "Biro lang. Stick to one na ako ngayon."

"Sabi mo eh." Julian still looked baffled. "Hoy, magtatake out lang kami. Kita tayo sa simbahan mamaya, ang dami mo pang hindi nakukwento."

Goyong's lips twitched in amusement. He was starting to love messing around with them. "Sige ba. I wouldn't mind getting to know you guys."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Plooception, eyy


	17. Vegas Skies

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Joven is baffled.

_He was effectively detained in the camp that he was supposed to be leaving after a certain point in the war. Gregorio kept insisting that it was for his safety but he was sure that it was only a matter of time before custody would be passed to the president himself. Joven Hernando knew too much, recorded everything he saw and heard and learned in camp. In such turubulent times - both in terms of war and political climate - knowledge can be very dangerous. He was starting to learn that the hard way._

_Gregorio left two days after arriving, taking his elder brother, Colonel Julian del Pilar, with him. They have apparently recieved news about one of the Bernals and have been ordered to make their move._

_Joven was left under the surveillance of the two other Colonels slash aide de camps remaining - young Vicente Enriquez and outspoken Adela Reyes. They have been more than kind, though Adela was quite distant. He supposed that not everyone who served a man like their general were as foul-natured as he was._

_At least that was a good thing._

_It was a rainy evening when Vicente first approached him and started conversation. The young soldier seemed genuinely interested in the stacks of journals that Joven had with him._

_"Gumagawa ka ba ng libro?" he asked quietly, sitting on the other chair across the desk from the journalist. There was a spark of genuine curiosity in his eyes, with no trace of mocking or jeering that most other soldiers in camp had. "O itinutuloy mo parin ang mga isinusulat mo para sa pahayagan niyo?"_

_"Wala sa mga iyon." Joven closed his journal and set his pen aside on a piece of rag. "Gumagawa lamang ako ng talaarawan."_

_"Ah." Vicente picked up one of the journals and quietly read a passage with it. "Magaling ka palang maglaro ng mga salita." A small smile bloomed on his youthful face. "Hindi na ako magtataka kung bakit pinili mong maging isang manunulat. Makata ka pala."_

_The boy's words sent a jolt of pain shooting right through Joven. He remembered saying those exact words to a certain murdered soldier. "Nahawa lang," he murmured, his voice barely more than a whisper. He fought hard not to weep. He was no child._

_"Naaalala mo pa sila." It wasn't a question. Vicente was smarter and more perceptive than what he let on. "Maniwala ka sakin, Ginoong Hernando, hindi ko din ginusto ang nangyari sakanila - at ang maaaring mangyari sa mga Bernal."_

_Not everyone were monsters. He had to remember that. Another concern came, unbidden, upon the journalist's lips. "May balita na ba kayo tungkol kay Kapitan Rusca?"_

_Vicente shook his head grimly. "Wala pa rin. Masigasig siyang ipinahahanap ng heneral ngunit wala talaga kaming mahagilap na balita."_

_Joven had a dark feeling that Rusca already suffered the same - or a much more horrible - fate as his companions in Cabanatuan. He hoped that he didn't have to undergo terrible torture after his surrender. The captain had always been kind to him, ready to spare a witty quip and some food whenever he strayed to Joven's vicinity._

_Then again, no one deserved the fates that were thrown at their faces._

**Wednesday, 01-13-16, 3:20 PM, Angeles City**

He and Jay were already heading for the parking space across the street when they bumped into Bugallon. The boy looked startled when he realized who they were, then let out a small, breathy laugh.

"Hala, paalis na pala kayo!" he began. "Mabuti nalang nakahabol ako."

Joven raised an eyebrow at that. "May problema ba?"

"Wala naman pero may nakita kasi sa archives si Ate Cat, baka daw interesting para sayo." Bugallon's grin fell a little at those words though, and he looked a little nervous.

"Para sakin? Bakit?" asked Joven.

"Kasi descendant ka nung original Joven Hernando," explained Bugallon. "May nakita siyang sulat dun, baka gusto mo daw makita."

"Um, kapatid niya ako. Pwede ba akong sumama?" Jay's voice was laced with protectiveness. Did she truly believe that he might end up in trouble  _all because of a letter?_

A better question truly would be over the letter's contents. He wrote and sent so much letters in his past lifetime, and he knew that he was supposed to be a courier for a few more - some of them never reaching their intended recipients for some reason or another.

Could it be one of the latter?

Bugallon nodded solemnly. "Better. Kayo nalang ba yung natitirang descendants niya sa Angeles?"

As far as Joven recalled, all his ancestors had only one child who survived to adulthood, aside from his grandfather who had a son and a daughter. "May pinsan kami, si Nonong. Pwede muna namin siyang sunduin kung ganyan kahalaga yan. Lalabas na din naman niyan sa sa school."

"Mabuti pa nga." Bugallon smiled again. "Hihintayin ka namin sa Museo ha?"

The siblings exchanged glances once they were alone again. "Ano kaya yun?" Jay mused, tapping her cheek curiously.

"Madami akong sulat na pinadala at hinatid noon," he replied, feeling the excitement and anxiety mixing in his stomach. "Sana lang hindi ganun kaseryoso yun."

Jay nodded. "Sa tingin mo tungkol saan? Bakit interesting naman to para satin?"

"Hindi ko din alam." Joven sighed. He wondered if it had something to do with the small chunks of memories that he couldn't recall no matter how hard he tried to trigger them. "Gusto ko rin maintindihan."

**Wednesday, 01-14-16, 4:00 PM, Museo Ning Angeles**

Nonong was surprised to find his cousins waiting for him outside of the university slash hospital complex, but he was genuinely excited when they informed him that it had something to do with family history. He wasn't as well versed as they were on it, but the museum intern's cryptic words also jumpstarted his curiosity.

They parked in the churchyard across the street and made a dash for the museum. A pair of girls in high school uniforms giggled at them as they passed by.

Bugallon was waiting for them in the main office, though it was occupied by other museum staff. None of them batted an eyelash at the group as they stepped in, probably since they would most likely be informed of this sudden appointment.

Joven's hands were clammy with cold sweat. He wasn't sure as to why he was so anxious over whatever information could be lying in store for him. He exchanged glances with his sister, who gave him a reassuring nod. He turned back to Bugallon. "Akala ko bang hinihintay tayo ni Ms. Garcia?"

The boy nodded. "Nasa archive room siya. Tara, samahan ko kayo."

The musty scent of the archive room filled his senses when he finally stepped in. Cat was seated behind her usual desk, her hair pulled up in a messy bun. She looked up as they approached and waved them over with so much enthusiasm.

"Kanina ko pa kayo hinihintay," she said in excitement. "Naganahan kasi akong maghalughog sa mga archives dito - salamat sainyo - tapos may nakita akong nakatagong sulat sa isa sa mga manuscripts ng ninuno niyo."

Joven stared blankly at the sheet of old paper that Cat handed him. It was in an awfully familiar handwriting, though he couldn't remember reading it in his past life. The void of the missing memories yawned at him as he read it.

_Ginoong Hernando_

_Pasensya na at hindi ako agad nakapagpadala ng liham. Huwag kang magalala at nasa maayos na kalagayan na ako. Hindi na nakahabol sa akin ang mga guardia nang naghiwalay tayo ng landas. Nakahanap na din ako ng aking mapagtataguan hanggang sa maging payapa ang lagay ng aking kapaligiran._

_Alam kong nasa mabuting lagay kayo ng iyong anak. Nakita kong lahat ito - katulad ng mga katanungan mo na sa kasamaang palad ay hindi ko pa masasagot sa mga susunod na araw. Maraming mga bagay na nagaganap sa ating paligid na hindi natin kayang ipaliwanag - na hindi pa kayang saliksikin ng ating mga bihasang maestro. Malalaman mo rin ang karamihan ng mga kasagutan sa mga ito sa tamang panahon, ngunit malayo at matarik pa ang daang iyong tatahakin bago ka maliwanagan._

_Maiintindihan ko kung hindi ka na makapagpapadala ng iyong sagot sa liham na ito. Mahal ko ang Inang Bayan ngunit kailangan kong umalis sa mga susunod na araw. Maraming mga bagay na kailangang pagtuunan ng pansin at hindi ko alam kung saan magsisimula. Babalik din ako sa tamang panahon, at magkukrus muli ang ating landas, kaibigan._

_May iaalok na pagkakataon sa iyo ang isang politico kapag kayo'y nagkita. Mainam na pumayag ka sa trabahong ibibigay niya sa iyo. Mabuti siyang tao, kahit na maraming siyang mga pagkakamali sa kanyang buhay._

_Huwag magtiwala sa Imperatris Dolorosa._

_Hanggang sa muli,_

_P._

He looked up from the letter blankly. He didn't remember the letter or the sender, which was one thing. Another was the fact that it was terribly cryptic, though it seemed to be one of the reasons why agreed to work for the man who would become President Quezon - and would reincarnate into his own cousin.

The most chilling thing about it is the fact that the handwriting was awfully familiar. As a matter of fact, it was exactly the same as Paul Ridel's and the other P that kept popping up in the team's quests for their pasts.

The letter raised more questions than answers.

"Ang... interesting, di ba?" Cat asked with a small frown. "Wala akong masyadong naintindihan sa sulat pero mukhang siya ang reason kung bakit hinanap ni Quezon ang ninuno mo."

"Mukha nga." He realized that his hands were shaking. "Pero di ko rin alam kung sino itong _P_ na ito."  _Siya rin ba si Paul Ridel at yung P na lagi naming nakikita?_ "Pwede akong magtingin tingin sa bahay kung may makita akong kung ano man tungkol sakanya."

Cat looked disappointed by that. "Sayang naman. Akala ko may bagong discovery na pwedeng idocument dito." She gave him a sheet of bond paper where she copied down the letter in her clean handwriting. "Eto oh, for reference. Don't hesitate to share kung may malaman kayo, ha?"

He was sure that he wouldn't be able to share the full truth with her - with  _anyone_ outside of the team, in fact - but he wouldn't mind giving her bits of information if he ever did find out more. After all, she's helped them out so much in the past few days.

He smiled at her. "Asahan mo yan."

**Wednesday, 01-14-16, 4:30 PM, Plaza Anghel**

Goyong wasn't sure how he ended up hanging around the small park outside of the city museum with the man who was once his elder brother, and the aforementioned brother's twin. They explained their circumstances - of remembering who they were in the past. It seemed like Julio Nakpil, the famed musician and general from days of revolution, had been reincarnated into the del Pilar family for some reason.

Neither twin could explain why - neither could even remember how or where they died.

He was thankfully comfortable enough with both of them. He ended up telling them about what happened after Tirad, and everything that transpired in Angeles. The twins were good listeners - well, of course Julian always was, which was a good thing. The events in Angeles made up a long story, and even the minutes he spared could never do it any justice. It was important for them to understand exactly what he went through though, especially Julian who may still be troubled by what he saw in Tirad.

Julian in turn recounted his experiences from Tirad onward, from being an accidentally promoted general during the hasty retreat to deserting the army to going home to Bulacan and getting settled down with Tina. He mentioned his attempts to fulfill his brother's apparently final requests thirteen years later and dying somewhere. "Hindi ko maalala kung saan o paano," he admitted. "Pero gubat yun."

Goyong was about to speak when he felt his skin crawling - as if something unnatural like him was lurking nearby. He looked around and saw a man standing beside one of the streetlights fashioned after those from the Spanish era. He was dressed in black, his face clean shaven, his touseled dark hair dancing with the wind. His dark eyes were concealed behind dark glasses, but there was something about him that implied that he was watching the three men - and that he wasn't fully human. Or is even less human than the boy general. The two held gazes as the wind picked up speed and as it reached its peak, the stranger turned and walked away.

There was definitely something more to that encounter than what it looked like.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Labyu guys, pramis.


	18. Ghost Story

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Joven is off on a date.

_He liked the two aides that watched over him the most, both in their own different ways. Vicente reminded him of himself, young and idealistic but without the somewhat rebellious streak that got him in trouble more often than not. The young colonel always visited him, usually discussing history and strategy and Joven's opinion on the status of their current war efforts. He also took time to read excerpts on Joven's journal, providing additional information that the journalist might find interesting enough to put into words._

_Adela was somewhat more distant than her male counterpart, though she always treated him kindly and always brought him news. Her questions, for some reason, were of a more personal nature. She asked him of his family, of any siblings. She asked if he had a sweetheart waiting for him back home. He found that telling her about his home eased the pain and longing in its own small way._

_Hearing their conversations outside of his hut often sent a pang of longing in his heart though. He longed not for home, but for Angela. The two coronel's frequent nighttime talks reminded him of her - especially with the fact that Vicente seemed to be struggling with some kind of feelings for Angela._

_It was an unusually quiet day in camp. The explosions and cries and gunshots in the distant trenches can still be heard - they barely ever stopped - but the camp itself was oddly calm despite the fact that it was still heavily populated with soldiers at rest. Messengers entered and left the camp, which regularly stirred with rumors regarding their general's current endeavours with his brother._

_Joven was in the hut, as always, but this time he was guarded by two random soldiers as Vicente was busy with border patrol and Adela was off somewhere else. There was nothing to do that day, so he decided to skim the book that Adela lent him on famous military leaders around the world. It was an interesting read, but for some reason the lazy day meant that he did not have the inclination to do more than flip the pages idly._

_The loud clop of horse hooves startled the torporous atmosphere in the camp. A messenger from a brigade to the south had arrived bearing news - Jose Bernal had been located in Los Pueblos de los Angeles and had been shot to death on the spot._

_Joven did not sleep well that night - not at all._

**Thursday, 01-15-16, 11:15 AM, Tea-rad Pass**

Angela was back - alone this time. Her bright bubblegum pink hair was disheveled from the strong wind outside. She smiled brightly as she made her way to the counter, hastily folding her jacket sleeves.

Joven was on his usual seat by Goyong's work station, staring at her with a vacant smile on his face. He wasn't sure how long he was staring at her like a fool, mesmerized by the way that her hips swayed as she walked, by the innocently coquettish smile on her face, by the way that she was all bundled up for the cold weather. Her eyes glittered as she smiled at him before turning back to Jay who was manning the counter.

"Nakow, tinamaan ata si Kuya Joven." One of the working students' voices wafted throughout the cafe, forcing him to snap back into attention.

"Huy, hindi ah!" he argued.

Jay was chuckling from her work area as she took down Angela's order. "Naks, nagbibinata na ang kuya ko," she joked.

Angela was still smiling innocently when she slid into the seat beside Joven's. The bar seats haven't been popular to the cafe customers before, but it seemed like more and more of their acquaintances were starting to use them.

The small distance between them seemed to burn. He wondered yet again whether she was starting to remember the past. It had been so easy for him - all he had to do was join the school paper at the age of thirteen. Well, of course not all of his memories were flawless, as the missing chunks could attest to, but he knew most of his past by the time he was sixteen.

"Kanina ka pa nakatingin sakin," Angela finally noted, breaking the silence between them. She leaned toward him, filling his entire being with her faintly flowery scent. "May naiwan bang mikmik sa mukha ko?"

"W-Wala naman," he stammered.

Her smile widened as she tucked a bright lock of hair behind her ear. "Eh bakit ganyan ang itsura mo?"

He tried to smile at her, still feeling bemused by the odd sensations he was experiencing. "Promise, ayos lang ako. Wag kang magalala. At wala kang dumi sa mukha mo."

Jay suppressed a cough that sounded more like she was being choked. "Kuya, wag mo kasing pakatitig, baka matunaw pa siya."

Goyong's snicker was more pronounced. "Bakit hindi mo naman kasi sinasabi? Pwede naman kitang bigyan ng tips."

"Bibigyan mo siya ng tips? Para saan?" Was Angela just playing innocent were was she really clueless about what the barista was insinuating?

"Wala, hayaan mo lang siya," Joven said quickly, feeling warmth creeping up his cheeks. "Ginagago nanaman niya ako."

Jay made a face. "Kuya, hindi na ginagago ng boyfriend ko."

"Kelan pa naging kayo?" he argued.

"Nung araw na nang alok siyang manligaw sakin?" Jay grinned. "Sinagot ko agad."

"At bakit?" Joven knew that they've been in love since the past era and seemed to have easily picked up exactly where they left off. He wouldn't begrudge them that despite the fact that it concerned his sister. He trusted her enough in matters of the heart - and besides, he had learned to trust the boy general again.

Jay's grin widened. "Wag kang magalala. Wala pa namang momol na nangyari."

"Dapat lang, kung hindi papaluin ko kayo sa pwet." He grinned back at his sister, finally shaking off the odd feelngs that were overrunning his entire being. He could vaguely recall experiencing the same spectrum of emotions in his past life but couldn't quite understand them - both then and now.

Angela cleared her throat, her eyes intent on Joven. "Um, gusto sana kitang - ano - uh, kausapin."

"Kausapin?" Joven felt his palms begin to clam up and sweat from a sudden burst of hopefully unwarranted anxiety. "May problema ba?"

She laughed and shook her head. "Hindi, um, kailangan ko kasi ng tutulong sakin sa sabado - birthday kasi ng friend ko at wala akong kasamang pupunta. Nasa Bulacan kasi si Ate Tina."

Was she asking him out on a party as a sort of totally obviously most definitely not a date?

"Sige," he said, realizing too late that he gave her an answer before actually thinking of it.

**Thursday, 01-15-16, 7:00 PM, Brgy. Pulung Bulo**

"So yung ategirl yung nagyaya sakanya sa date niya?" Jose blurted out over dinner. "Breezy ata to ah!"

Joven looked away, hoping that the dining room floor would open up and swallow him whole in embarrassment. He wasn't even sure as to why he agreed to let Jay tell everyone else what happened in the first place. A good number of his friends - and his own sister and cousin - would definitely never live it down.

"Gago kayo, ako nga yung kinikilig sakanila kanina eh!" Jay argued before taking a long swig of cold water. She set her glass down with a chuckle. "Gusto ko ngang makitang maging breezy si kuya sakanya."

Rusca stroked his chin sagely. "Nakow, second date na agad kayo? May kasama na bang landian yan?"

"Hindi nga daw date," said Goyong. "Pero Dios mio patatas, parang doon din ang abot nila sa huli eh!"

"Magtigil nga kayo!" Joven hid his face and let himself sag against his chair. "Tutulungan ko lang yung tao, ito naman!"

Looking at his friends' faces, he was sure that they were not convinced at all by his words. Even Paco had a questioning glint in his eye.  _Ganito pala yung pakiramdam ng nakaupo sa hot seat._

Well at least Manuel didn't join in their good natured teasing. _"Balamu naman neng karagul a bage ing date a yan." Akala mo naman ang laking bagay niyang date na yan._ "Pero ang advice ko lang naman, maghinay hinay kayo ha? Wag sobrang excited." A tone of bitterness crept up his voice. Was there something that happened to him with a past girlfriend? He had never been as forthcoming as his brother when it came to past shenanigans.

"Maghihinay hinay talaga kami, ni wala man nga kami sa ligawan stage, ikaw talaga." He tried to sound as composed as he wanted to feel, but of course, he would never fool them.

It's been more than a hundred years and yet Angela Buencamino still had the talent of leaving him terribly flustered and out of his league.

**Friday, 01-15-16, 4:00 PM, SM Clark**

He wasn't sure how he ended up being dragged around the mall by his sister, Nena, and Jose who looked like he was there just to make fun of the everything that was going on. The girls seemed to have taken the party as an excuse to make him buy nice clothes - which weren't necessary as he always dressed carefully so that he could always match the cafe's image.

"Date yan, dapat presentable ka," Nena said with a knowledgeable smile. "Syempre you must  _dress to impress._ Um, pwede ring dress to kill pero kahit cool siyang pakinggan hindi siya rhyming..." She paused, losing her train of thought.

"Basta, ayun, magpakitang gilas ka!" Jay said, picking up where her friend left off.

"Eh bakit kapag kayo yung lumalabas nina Ed at Goyong, kahit ano sinusuot niyo? Si Goyong nga pag minsan kulang nalang pambahay ang isuot niya," complained Joven.

It really wasn't that  _fair._ No one batted an eyelash at Goyong and Jay. No one even picked on Rusca so much when he started making a move on Nena.

"Kasi ang dalisay mo, gago," Jose said as they headed for the men's section in a crowded clothing shop. "Hindi namin inasahan na makahirit ka bigla sa babae!"

"Ano ba, nagkaanak nga ako noon ng wala sa oras eh," Joven grunted. He barely talked about  _how_ exactly the original Joven Hernando ended up with a son as he had never been married. "Anong dalisay?"

"Oh, edi the better for you to dress up with, my dear," Jay said with her usual smirk. "Basta siguraduhin mong gumamit ng  _tiwala_ para hindi makadisgrasya ah?"

It took him a while to realize just what his sister meant, and his cheeks burned when he did. He wasn't even sure how to respond to that she he ended up trailing behind their small group in a huff.

Jose snorted. "Alam mo, wag kang masyadong defensive, bro. Ganito lang kami kasi alam naming kailangan mo ng mas madaming moral support pag dating sa mga babae."

Nena hummed as she picked out a collared, long sleeved shirt in green. "Bagay mo to oh."

"Bebe, party yung pupuntahan niya, hindi kasal," Jay said with a wince. "Baka naman masobrahan siya ng japorms pagdating niya dun."

Nena nodded solemnly and put back the dress shirt. She turned to Joven with a grin. "Reference parin, ano? Bagay mo yung mga ganito."

Well, most of the fashion talk merely flew off his head. Despite knowing how to dress presentably, he never truly understood - or cared about - the grittier details of fashion. Despite never really caring much about it, it seemed like the two women understood it enough to know what would and would not be appropriate for him to wear on what the entire team deemed to be a _party date_.

He filtered out their discussion after a while. Unfortunately he didn't have Jose to quip with as the latter ran off to the nearest restroom a while back. His eyes wandered to the area outside of the shop - and spotted a man in all black wearing sunglasses  _indoors,_ loitering right beside an ice cream stall.

The way the man suddenly removed his sunglasses and inclined his head chilled Joven. For an unsettling moment, it seemed like the man acknowledged the fact that he caught Joven staring - and was actually watching him even prior to that. Joven squinted as they locked onto each other, willing the man to look away.

At least, that was until he realized that it was the man from Manaoag - the man who assaulted Tina and him.

Of course, there was nothing he or the man could do in a highly public place such as a crowded mall. He broke his gaze and turned his focus back to his companions, though he willed himself to be aware of his surroundings for potential trouble. He would cooperate with his friends for now. The sooner they were out of the mall, the better.


	19. Feelings

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Hernando siblings end up on dates - and one of them will not end well.

_He heard them outside all the time, Vicente and Adela. Their interactions with each other left him with an oftentmes subtle ache in his heart for Angela that sometimes reared and became a roaring inferno of pain. He pined for her, wanted to see her again, wanted to understand why she made him feel such emotions even at the most unexpected of times._

_He poured his heart out in his journals and on the spare sheets of paper where he wrote dozens of unsent letters. The entire brigade - which sadly now also included him in a way - steadily moved north to catch up with their general in Dagupan, where they heard the news of Manuel Bernal's torture and subsequent death._

_Joven often looked back at the general direction of Tarlac, wondering how his cousin fared. He often wondered if she heard of her former lover's exploits, of how he now lusted for both carnal pleasure and power. She would have been disappointed, he was sure of that._

_Yet he wondered if Gregorio acted the way he did because Poleng left to marry someone else at her parents' behest._

_Despite their attempts to act pleasant, he could not trust the boy general and his quiet elder brother. There were rumors that they had something to do with the Bernals' deaths - and no matter how forced they may have been, they still went ahead and murdered good men, good soldiers._

_"Hindi ko rin maintindihan kung bakit ganoon ang naging tadhana nila," Adela mentioned while she helped him unload his luggage to one of the ramshackles hut that the brigade and the camp followers had been hastily building all day. She still sounded as clipped and as businesslike as always, though there was a distant gleam in her eyes._

_"Hindi nararapat para sakanila ang isinapit nila," Joven said gloomily as he surveyed the cramped space that he would be sharing with all of the general's aides until they leave yet again._

_Adela shook her head. "Ginagawa nating lahat ang iniisip nating nararapat - ngunit kapag minsa'y naiipit din tayo dahil sa mga taong nakatataas sa atin."_

_He wasn't sure if she was defending del Pilar, explaining her situation, or both._

_He always heard them talking quietly in the day whenever they were tasked to watch over him. The way Vicente spoke reminded him of how he himself talked whenever Angela was in the vicinity. It sent a lonely pang that ran through his entire being. He feared that he would not live long enough to go home, return to her arms. He feared that his life was on the line, and was merely wait for the boy general's whims to seal his fate._

_"Hindi ko rin alam bakit hindi ka pa pinakakawalan ng heneral. Alam niya - at alam din namin - na wala kang kasalanan sa Inang Bayan." Vicente was in the hut again, reading one of the unsent letters that Joven had just finished writing. "Ang galing mo talaga sa paggamit ng mga salita."_

_"Mahal mo ba si Koronel Reyes?" Joven blurted out all of a sudden. He had no idea why the boy's answer was important to him - but it was._

_"Oo, mahal ko siya," Vicente murmured after a few seconds' worth of pondering. "Ngunit hindi ko alam kung paano ito sasabihin sakanya."_

_"Maari kitang tulungang sumulat ng liham para sakanya kung gusto mo," Joven offered. He had no idea why he said it, but he did like the boy despite the latter's loyalty's.  
_

_The look of glee on Vicente's face, to Joven's surprise, made him feel better about his entire situation. He knew that it was just a temporary reprieve, but it was better than nothing._

**Saturday, 01-16-16, 04:30 PM, Angeles City Proper**

He ended up in a shiny new shirt - not to grungy nor too plain - beneath a half open black jacket and black pants. His hands were shaking so much when he started tying his sneakers' laces. He wasn't sure why he was so anxious. It was just a some party or another with the reincarnation of the girl that he once defiled. He barely knew Angela Buencamino of the present and yet his stomach was twisting itself up in knots.

Rusca seemed to have taken pity on him and offered to drop him off to the venue instead of letting him drive by himself. He seemed oddly pleasant about this but the downside was that Jay, Goyong, and Jose also dragged themselves along for the ride.

"Kinakabahan ka ba, bro?" Rusca asked as they drove along the highway. "Basta act natural. Mukhang ok ka naman sakanya - tignan mo nga, siya yung nagyaya sayo."

"Hindi naman ako kinakabahan," Joven argued, clenching and unclenching his fists. "Medyo nagulat lang talaga ako na pinayagan ko kayong pormahan ako."

"Syempre. Para pogi. Hindi pwedeng hindi ka pogi sa date mo," Goyong quipped from the passenger's seat.

Of course, he knew that it was futile for him to insist that it was  _not_ a date. Everyone either brushed it off or just used that as a way to tease him. Not that he minded of course, as everyone in the team made jests at each other regularly. He just wished that he didn't feel so anxious toward  _Angela_ herself.

It was going to be a long ride, terrible city traffic situation aside.

"Wag kang kabahan," Rusca was saying. For some reason, he sounded oddly levelheaded instead of his usually excitable manner of speaking. "Act natural. Alam kong mahirap gawin kahit madaling sabihin pero fake it until you make it, sabi nga nila."

Joven bit his lip. His best friend was right - he had to act natural if he wanted to make it through the rest of the day without making a fool out of himself. It was a tall order on some regards as he was feeling so jumpy that a simple touch might send him running off.

"Sana lang namana ko yung confidence niyong lahat," he finally blurted out. "Dios mio, wala talaga akong kahit anong talent sa pakikipagusap sa mga babae."

"Babae naman ako ah," Jay argued. Well, of course she would throw that at him.

"Babae ka nga pero... alam mo namang iba ka kasi kapatid kita," he said, averting his gaze from his friends.

Jose clucked his tongue. "Nakow, Jovenito." He shook his head and chuckled. "Buong pagaakala ko panaman eh chick magnet ka."

"Chick magnet nga siya nung high school!" Rusca announced to all the passengers. "Nagkataon lang na hindi niya alam anong dapat gawin sa mga chicks kaya lumayo din siya."

Goyong chuckled. "Mas oks na yun kesa naman maging fuckboy siya, ito naman."

Well, the former fuckboy did have a point.

**Saturday, 01-16-16, 05:00 PM, Garden Dine Restaurant**

His hands began to clam up when he realized that she was waiting for him right outside the establishment. She was dressed smartly in a vintage long sleeved dress, her vibrantly pink hair clashing pleasantly with the pale blue of her clothing. She waved at him enthusiastiacally as he hopped out of Rusca's car.

Well, his best friend was right, at least. He was too much of a mess to even attempt driving that day. He forced a smile as he made his way to her, hoping against all hope that he didn't look  _too_ constipated.

"Hi, sorry kung natagalan," he began. "Grabe ang traffic sa Marisol." He felt a pang of nostalgia as he mentioned the area he used to live in. Staying there felt like lifetimes upon lifetimes away. So much had happened since moving back to the ancestral house last October.

Her laughter was so warm and bright and _why was she still as lovely as a summer day?_ "Kakarating ko nga lang din." She brushed a stray lock of hair away from her face with a timid chuckle. "Pasensya na, naabala pa ata kita."

He chuckled at that. "Ano ba, never kang magiging abala sakin." Where did  _that_ come from? It was as if he was channeling his future brother in law. Well, he didn't sound  _that_ bad, at least.

She pinched his cheek, her touch as light as a feather. It still left a pleasant trail of warmth on his skin when she pulled away, though. "Ang cute mo naman," she said with a laugh. She rummaged for something in her pockets. "Uy, mik mik oh. Gusto mo?"

He blinked and shook his head. He usually made a mess of himself whenever he opened a packet of that milk powder. "Ok lang ako," he said with a smile. He was still hoping that he did not look anything like a constipated fool.

She held out her hand. "O siya, baka hinihintay na tayo sa loob. Tara na ba?"

He was sure that his friends who were left behind in the car were laughing at him. He cursed the fact that they haven't pulled out of the parking lot yet. They would definitely be cooking up their own version of events - even if it they were just doing that to tease him.

Of course, he had no other choice in the matter. Palms sweaty from anxiety, he took the hand she offered to him and did his best to mirror her smile. He was probably looking  _worse_ than constipated at that point, but he didn't care anymore. "Tara na, sige." His hand closed around hers, and it felt just right.

_Wala na siguro akong magagawa dito. Mahuhulog na talaga ako sa kawalan._

**Bonus**

**Saturday, 01-16-16, 09:00 PM, Brgy. Balibago**

Jay was walking down the edge of the road hand in hand with Goyong. She wasn't sure why she even let him hold her hand - she never was comfortable with touchy people - or why she accepted his offer to go out on a dinner date. Well, it wasn't a bad thing. She was pretty crazy over the boy general despite all the red marks in his past.

It was a beautiful night - the stars were shining in the somewhat limited way that they could through the polluted sky, and the silvery moon seemed to cast its watchful gaze upon them. The traffic was still quite heavy and public transportation in the area was a bit of an issue, which necessitated their walk, but she didn't mind at all.

"Ang lalim ata ng iniisip mo," Goyong noted with a small pout. "May problema ba?"

She smiled at him and shook her head. "Wala naman. Madalang lang ako maglakad ng ganito kalayo." She chuckled, trying her best to sound nonchalant.

She had a lot to think about ever since the second of December the previous year - ever since Goyong had finally lost his agelessness and almost died. Before, she had always been contented with what memories remained with her. They were very few, she had to admit, mostly relating to her closeness to her then-cousin, Joven, and her lover.

Despite going down in history as the woman who spurned General Gregorio del Pilar's love, Poleng Hernando truly loved him, that she had been forced to cut off ties with him as her father threatened to have him murdered. What Jay hated was the fact that she could not remember anything at all beyond the last contact she had with Goyong back then.

She knew that she died young in the past - maybe even died before Tirad Pass happened - but she could not remember the details of anything after that last conversation they had. She wanted to know more, understand everything she went through. She could not, in good faith, jump deeper into the abyss that her current life was leading her to without knowing more about what she lost in another life. She could not, in good faith, give all her love to the boy general without learning about what transpired after their relationship ended more than a century ago.

She wanted to know if she was capable of more than just hurting everyone around her.

"Jay? Huy." Goyong's voice disippated the angry, confused mist of thoughts that clouded her mind.

She realized that she was gripping his hand so hard that her nails were digging into his skin. She eased her touch and looked away, feeling her cheeks flush. She never blushed - that just wasn't her thing. "Pasensya na, may naalala lang." That was as close to the truth as she could get.

He didn't seem convinced.

They passed by a dark side alley when they heard a cry for help. A young man in expensive looking clothes bolted out of the shadows, followed by a man clad in black who clutched a wicked looking knife that glinted silver that made one's skin crawl at the sight of it. Both of them disappeared into another shadowy street.

Jay's mind went blank - all she knew was that she might be preventing a potential murder. Her fingers fumbled for at least two of her concealed knoves as she ran after them, ignoring Goyong's shouts. She didn't even realize that her boyfriend was still recovering from multiple major surgeries and wouldn't be able to catch up on time if anything happened to her.

She didn't learn how to fight just to protect herself - she did it to help people too, as foolish as it sounded. She would just have to wing it. She pulled out her two hidden knives and plunged into the semidarkness of the abandoned street. She focused on everything she could about her as she struggled to keep her footfalls quiet.

The man being pursued was nowhere in sight, but the tall man in black was standing in the middle of the street, as if looking for his victim. He turned as she approached - as if he was there to lure her all along. For some reason, she had a feeling that this man was not a sexual predator. He was something much more sinister, something as  _unnatural_ as the doppleganger that once roamed the city.

She spoke too soon when she said that Goyong, and Rusca to a lesser extent, were too reckless for their own good. She was a reckless fool too - and would most likely pay for it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Cliffhangers? Yes. Labyu guys.


	20. I Caught Myself

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Joven is snowballed into the next part of his mystery.

**Bonus**

**Saturday, 01-16-16, 09:15 PM, Brgy. Balibago**

She was armed only with her knives. No one was there to help her, and Goyong might not arrive on time. She knew what she had to do -  _bullshit_ her way out of trouble. "So, mukhang may kailangan ka sakin," she said, trying to sound conversational. She was sure that it wouldn't work, but it couldn't hurt to try. "Hindi naman ako kasing badass o interesting kagaya ng mga kasama ko sa bahay."

The odd man smirked. "Hindi mo lamang alam kung gaano ka kahalaga sa aming  _reyna."_ There was something oddly stilted about his cadence - as if he was speaking a foreign tongue.

 _Reyna?_ Jay scowled. "Wala akong kinikilalang reyna, gago."

"Hindi mo na siya kailangang kilalanin. Basura ka lamang para sa isang tulad niya." The man moved forward, brandishing his oddly glinting knife. There was something odd about his eyes - something that she only ever saw in Andres Bonifacio's doppleganger. She was facing yet another one of those _infernal_ beings. "Kailangan mong mawala sa kanyang landas."

"Eh gago ka pala." Jay raised her right arm, preparing to defend herself. She wasn't going to run, not just yet.

She cared not if they called her a fearless fool - all terror went right out of her body at that moment. She thirsted for a fight though she could not understand why. The man lunged at her and she raised her knife to parry it quickly. Her mind was devoid of anything else but the desire to beat the hell out of the man who lured her into a trap - and maybe get some answers. He seemed to know  _something_ about her, probably even more than she did.

Wild, desperate rage welled up in her when the enemy's knife took an aim on her face as she slipped. She barely had time to lean away and paid for it. The knife sliced across the bridge of her nose, making all her senses explode in pain. Her eyes welled up from the fiery sensation as she staggered back, trying to keep her focus on her foe. It was a superficial wound and yet the scent and sight of blood was starting to make her feel queasy.

"Langya ka, masakit yun ah." She channeled the rage that threatened to overwhelm her, blinking away the tears from her eyes.

She lunged and her knife plunged into her foe's arm. The man reeled back and hissed at her as he yanked the weapon away. The wound immediately stopped bleeding. Jay berated herself for forgetting her blessed dagger, which is one of the only items that can permanently injure a doppleganger.

_Shit._

They exchanged stares for a while as Jay wondered how she could retreat without being overran by him. She was slim and fast but he had longer legs. She couldn't stay up all night and fight to the death though, and she knew it.

Before she could make her decision though, he miraculously turned tail and ran, as if he just remembered a prior appointment. She briefly toyed with running after him and then remembered that she would be fighting a losing a battle if she did.

She turned back and ran out of the street, back to the brighter main road - where Goyong was leaning against a building that already closed for the night, clutching his bloodstained shirt and coughing. He looked up as he approached, and the terror in his eyes switched to relief for a few brief seconds.

"Sinubukan kitang habulin," he gasped. "Pero nabuksan ata yung ibang mga sugat ko."

She just leaped straight out of the frying pan and into the fire, it seemed.

* * *

_His detainment in the brigade's camps turned more and more painful as they moved steadily north. The del Pilar brothers - the General and the Colonel both - have been more than civil to him, though he knew he could never trust them. He couldn't bring himself to trust anyone who could torture and kill a man without apparently flinching._

_He heard the rumors. He knew what both of them were capable of._

_Vicente and Adela had been kind to him and he knew this to be genuine. He could see - with much pain in his heart - that Vicente, at least, was madly in love with his female friend. They reminded him so much of Angela, and the fact that he kept denying his love for her. Vicente mentioned a brief embrace from Adela after delivering the letter that Joven made him write, but nothing else._

_For some reason, the way Adela spoke of her companion whenever she was on a chatty mood made him wonder if she also had some kind of repressed feeling for Vicente._

_It was mid-August when someone joined him on his hut. They were somewhere in Pangasinan, steadily retreating to the north as the Americans advanced upon them._

_It was Eduardo Rusca - thinner, battered, sad, but alive. Very much alive. Both of them feared that they didn't have much time left though, as they were the only ones left of Luna's inner circle unless one counted General Alejandrino._

_"Kung anuman ang mapagpasyahan nila bukas, masaya ako at nagkita muli tayo," Rusca said firmly._

_"Ako rin, Kapitan," Joven said quietly._

_Rusca handed him a piece of clumsily folded piece of paper. "May pakiramdam na kung ano man ang mangyayari bukas, makauuwi ka parin pagkatapos ng lahat ng ito. Kung masawi man ako dahil sa mga binabalak ng heneral, nakikiusap ako na ibigay ito kay Nena kung sakali man na magkita kayo."_

_"Gagawin ko ang makakaya ko," promised Joven - though he had no idea where Nena Rusca was or what she looked like. He would do it for a friend - if he lived long enough, of course. War was hell, and no one would ever be sure of waking up to see another day. Living in del Pilar's camp added fuel to the fire, too._

**Saturday, 01-16-16, 09:30 PM, Garden Dine Restaurant**

He was still standing outside the venue with Angela, waiting for Rusca to pick them up so that he could at least help his...  _date_... arrive home safe and sound. The night was beautiful and pleasantly cool, the gentle breeze brushing against their faces as the seconds ticked by.

He had been driven crazy all night as he got to know Angela more and more. The mischievously demure smile never left her space as they shot questions back and forth with each other, somewhat oblivious to their surroundings. It made him wonder over and over again whether she remembered anything of their past.

Of course, he wasn't in love - not just yet. It was too early for him to say that, as they only knew each other for a handful of days. But as hard as he tried to deny it, he was definitely attracted to her - and his knowledge of their shared past didn't make things easier.

"Kaya ko namang magcommute pauwi, malapit lang naman yung Villa Teresa," she was insisting with a small pout. "Kaya ko na yung sarili mo."

"Hindi, nakakahiya naman, sinama mo ako dito kaya ako na yung tutulong sayo para makauwi ka." Joven smiled at her, feeling his stomach flutter ridiculously as he did. He was about to say something more when his phone suddenly rang.

It was Jay.

"Kuya," she said in a clipped tone. "Nandito kami sa ospital."

"Ospital?" Joven asked in a horrified tone. A dark feeling of dread settled in his gut. The last he heard from his sister that night, she was off on a date with her boyfriend.

Did something go wrong?

Jay wove a story of a fight with an assailant clad in black clothing, and Goyong's wounds reopening after an attempt to run after her. It seemed like a kind jeepney driver helped them head for the nearest hospital.

"Ikaw ang una kong tinawagan kasi... alam mo na." Jay sounded oddly calm though Joven was sure that she was beating herself up - and more - inside. "Nandyan na ba si Kuya Ed?"

"Wala pa, pero nasa may Abacan na." Joven fought back the urge to nag his sister for her recklessness. They were both old enough to know what they were doing. "Sigurado kang ayos ka lang, ha?"

"Oo naman." Jay's voice slipped and broke for a moment. "Tatahiin lang naman siguro yung sugat niya tapos makakauwi na. Sige, malolowbat na ako. Mamaya ulit."

The call ended.

Joven turned to Angela, who was watching him curiously. "Sorry, tumawag yung kapatid ko. Bumukas daw yung tahi ng boyfriend niya. Napagdiskitahan kasi ng lasing yun last year tapos nagagaw buhay. Medyo matagal pala yung recovery process katapos ng mga surgeries niya."

Angela nodded thoughtfully. "Sabi naman kasi sayo magcocommute nalang ako. Kaya ko naman ah."

Joven shook his head. "Hihiramin ko yung kotse ni Ed kung magpapaiwan siya sa ospital, pero sasamahan parin kitang makauwi, okay?"

She smiled and looked down. "Salamat ha?"

"Wala yun." He felt the heat gathering on his cheeks.  _Nasaan ang hustisya?_

Rusca pulled up right in front of them and lowered the windows. "Uy, tara na."

Nena grinned at them from the shotgun seat as they hopped into the car. "Kamusta naman ang date?"

Joven opened his mouth to protest, but Angela beat him to it. "Masaya naman," she said.

Rusca seemed to be stopping himself from laughing as he revved up the engine. "Akalain mo nga naman, marunong palang magdate si Jovenito, ano?"

"Huy, nabalitaan niyo ba yung nangyari kay Goyong?" Joven said quickly. "Nasa ospital siya."

**Saturday, 01-16-16, 10:30 PM, Angeles University Foundation Medical Center**

Instead of heading straight home, Angela volunteered to accompany them to the hopsital instead upon seeing how everyone was so upset by the news that one of their own was hurt. Jay was waiting for them outside the emergency room, white faced and a bloody adhesive bandage slapped across her nose. She hugged each of them in turn - even a mildly surprised Angela.

"Akala ko bang ayos ka lang?" Joven asked, staring at her nose.

"Ayos na ayos nga," she argued, holding out her rather bloodstained arms and clothes. "Tatahiin nga lang ulit yung mga sugat niya tapos overnight observation daw."

It was going to be a long night, Joven was sure of that. As the women ended up in a quiet discussion in one corner and Rusca was away looking for an open bakery, he ended up huddled by the car, reviewing his old journal. He had almost finished reading it - it ended in Cabanatuan - and still found no additional information regarding his other journals.

He hadn't found any clue until then, that is.

Hastily scrawled at the penultimate page of his journal were two sentences in a neat,  _awfully_ familiar handwriting: _Mag-iingat ka at n_ _asa Angeles na ang pangalawa. Nasa paanan ng puno ng acacia sa may tabi ng himlayan ng pinsan mo ang susunod na aklat._

Joven looked up from the journal. "Holy shit."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Cliffhangers? Anong cliffhangers?


	21. Pride and the Flame

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Joven remembers.

_Loud gunshots disrupted the supposedly peaceful early morning, followed by panicked and angry shouts. There was a loud knock on the door to his small hut before it was thrown open by a white-faced Adela. "Ginoong Hernando," she began in a clipped tone._

_Something was wrong._

_"Ilang beses ko bang kailangang ulitin na maaari niyo naman akong tawaging Joven?" the man in question began, trying to stall for time. His palms began to sweat as he suddenly feared for the captain who he was sure should be sleeping on the other bed in the hut. "May kailangan ba kayo sa akin?"_

_"Parang ganoon na nga." Adela waited patiently as he made his way to the door._

_A sharp, metallic scent filled the air that should only be holding the air of a new day and the hope that came with it. A group of soldiers were gathered around something, apparently corralled by Vicente and Julian - who were both pale and seemed upset. As a matter of fact, the younger colonel seemed to be on the verge of tears as he ran toward Joven._

_"Patawarin mo kami," he said in a quivering voice. "Hindi kami nakakilos agad upang pigilan ito."_

_Joven refused to try and understand what was going on. He had a niggling feeling that he knew what they meant, but he fought against it.until he was standing right in front of the corpse - Eduardo Rusca, his body terribly mangled from numerous gunshots that put Luna's murder to shame._

_Joven wasn't sure how long he wept with Vicente. He lost the very last person that he could fully trust in the army. He lost one of the first friends he made in Luna's camp. As much as he liked Vicente and Adela, their loyalties still lay with Gregorio at the end of the day. He could never be truly open around them._

_Adela explained in her matter of fact way that there was a misunderstanding. Eduardo Rusca had been truly released honorably as he was made to believe. It seemed like the rest of the camp had not been made aware of it though, and tried to shoot him on sight, assuming that he was escaping his detainment._

_Joven wondered if Gregorio left that detail out on purpose as a way to get Rusca murdered._

_He strove hard to compose himself when members of the Cruz Roja arrived to take the body away. He knew that the general would be arriving soon - and might have him taken away to be executed too. He watched a still sobbing Vicente and the ever stoic Adela talk quietly as they followed the medics to their hut._

_He saw Gregorio approach them, a haggard, panicked look on his face which worsened as they finished their quick conversation. It seemed like he was getting better and better at acting._

_Joven still approached him though, wondering if he could still somehow get answers._

_"Pangungunahan na kita, Ginoong Hernando," the general said in a long suffering voice as he approached. "Hindi ko siya pinabitay."_

_It seemed like Gregorio was trying to preempt him - another possible sign of his guilt. "Ginintuan din ba ang iyong dila, Heneral? Mukhang madami kang natutunan sa iyong amo." Joven tried hard to keep the anger from coloring his voice, though he seemed to be failing. He hated Gregorio, hated his crimes, hated his association with Poleng._

_"Madami akong kasalanan, at madami na din akong napagtaksilan sa maikling buhay ko. Ngunit hindi ko gawain ang magbigay ng pag-asa sa isang tao upang mabaril lamang siya pagtalikod niya." Lies, all lies. That was probably what he would have done, if Jose had not escaped his captors in Candaba._

_"Naalala ko parin ang mga Bernal." Joven felt himself shake as he remembered Vicente telling him about their deaths, sounding as shaken as the journalist felt._

_There was something cold and dead in Gregorio's eyes, the look of a man who had resigned himself to his dark fate. "Kung naaalala mo ang mga Bernal, ibig sabihin noon ay alam mo din kung paano ako kumilos. Kailangan kong magpadala ng sulat sa pamilya ng nasawi. Mamaya na tayo mag-usap... kung may kailangan pang pag-usapan. Magandang gabi, Ginoong Hernando."_

_None of his words made any sense._

**Sunday, 01-17-16, 11:00 AM, La Pieta Memorial Park**

Joven wasn't sure why his companions insisted on acting upon the instructions smack dab in the middle of a terribly warm day. There they were though, Joven and Jose and Nonong,, standing at the foot of his eldest cousin's grave, shovels in hand.

Nonong was terribly subdued during the whole affair, probably recalling the way that Andres Bonifacio's doppleganger horrifically murdered his brother. It was not a pretty sight, and Joven's stomach still felt queasy whenever he thought of it. It was the stuff of nightmares, after all.

Jose tried to lighten up the mood by snarking over the heat - apparently forgetting that hauling themselves to the memorial park at such a warm hour was mostly his idea. Well, at least it did help, as Nonong finally smiled as they began to dig by the roots of tree specified on the journal.

Manuel and Paco were stationed on either ends of the road, making sure that no one would end up finding them in the middle of something that was most probably illegal. Joven vaguely wondered whether he would break even more laws before he could finally complete his journal pages. It wasn't exactly an exciting prospect.

"Pag nahuli ako panindigan niyo ako," wailed Nonong. "Gusto ko pang maggraduate ng college!"

"Gags, hindi naman tayo mahuhuli," Jose commented with a roll of his eyes. He dug his shovel into the dirt again and stopped. "Shit." He stopped and peered at the spot that he was digging into. "Mga brad, look."

An edge of a small, antique wooden box was peering out, glinting under the brilliant glare of the sun. Nonong pulled it out of its resting place and sneezed at the cloud of dust that gathered around him. "Uy, sa tingin niyo ba ito na yun?"

"Possible." Joven took it from him, knowing his sensitivity to dust, and brushed off the dirt from the top. There were no visible locks so opening it was as simple as taking off the lid.

There it was, the thin, red covered journal that detailed the interim between Luna's death and his detainment in Goyong's camp. It was just a slim volume, one of two journals that were hastily purchased shortly before Luna headed to his demise in Cabanatuan. Seeing it again pulled up some painful memories from the murky depths of his mind, made him recall the desperate terror of that period.

His fingers shook as he fumbled through the pages, searching for the words that recorded the last time he saw the Bernal brothers. It spoke of their hasty goodbyes, and Jose's promise to come back and whisk him back to his family once everything has calmed down. With his present knowledge of everything that happened after that conversation made it all sting.

There was no point in weeping over the past, but he bowed his head for a while to compose himself. "Masakit parin pala," he murmured.  _"Bala ku sa ala nakung panamdaman para keni." Akala ko wala na akong mararamdaman para dito._

Jose nodded in understanding. "Take your time lang, bro.  _Ikami nang bahala keni." Kami na ang bahala dito._

**Sunday, 01-17-16, 5:30 PM, Brgy. Pulung Bulo**

He found himself reading the contents of the journal for clues. He knew that he promised himself to rest - even just for that day - but he truly could not resist the temptation. After all, it was just a slim volume compared to the prior journal that he went over. He just wanted to get it over with - complete the knowledge he sought, find the memories that he truly could not bring up.

He also wanted to know the identity of Paul Ridel, and what his relation to Joven's past life was. There were so many questions swirling like a storm in his head, and he had no idea what he needed to do to get his answers. It seemed like despite his attempts to fight against fate and circumstances, he had to be snowballed around by this treasure hunt - all for the knowledge he sought.

Night hadn't even fallen and yet his eyes already ached from his attempts to decipher his old handwriting and any clues that might have been inserted there.

The writings brought about a wave of sadness and nostalgia that was amplified after reading the first journal. He knew that all of it had been buried in the far off past - it has been more than a century since the events documented there - and yet everything still felt so  _fresh_ to him.

"Kuya?"

His cousin's voice made him look up from the journal - he was halfway through reading about his past self's worries about his family back home.

Nonong looked hesitant - no, anxious - about something. His cheeks were pale, and his eyes darted around the empty terrace. He stood by the screen door, his old college history book in hand. "Nakaabala pa ata ako," he noted with a nervous chuckle.

"Hindi naman." Baffled, Joven tilted his head as he regarded his only surviving cousin. "May problema ba?"

The boy's eyes flicked down, studying his shoes with a sudden interest. Never before had he looked so far from the confident president that he was in his former life. "H-Hindi naman problema. Ipapakilala daw kasi ako bukas ni Ate Jay dun sa anak anakan daw niya nugn college siya." He leaned forward, face pale from terror. "Natawa daw kasi siya dahil bigla niyang narealize na  _Aurora Aragon_ yung pangalan nun."

It seemed like everyone truly did have to face the shadows and the demons of their past at one point or another.

**Bonus**

**Sunday, 01-17-16, 10:30 PM, Brgy. Pulung Bulo**

_Goyong dreamed of shadows and the cold. Truly, he never had to fear them before - a soldier grew accustomed to being in the dark and suffering from cold nights before their wars ended - but there was something more than unnerving about his current predicament. He couldn't see where he was, or what was going on around him. There was only an eerie silence punctuated by his ragged breath and the beat of his erratic heart._

_He once conditioned himself never to feel crippling fear again. He was a soldier, a general, but he could barely move from fright. Something was amiss and he knew it. His arms were bound behind him with something slimy, while steel chains held his legs in place._

_Soft footfalls eventually broke the silence that enveloped him. There was the muted rustle of cloth against the rough floor, and a willowy woman carrying an old lamp approached him._

_He knew those canted eyes and curly hair anywhere. Dolores Nable Jose in the flesh seemed to have sought him out. He opened his mouth to speak, but something seemed to be choking the voice out of him. She didn't say anything for a while either - merely watched him with her unsettling gaze._

_"Gregorio, si Poleng lamang ba ang tunay mong minahal?" she finally asked._

_There was no point in lying. He had decided more than a century ago that he had own up to his mistakes - and be true not only to himself but to everyone around him. He nodded. The Poleng of the past and Jay of the present would be the only women he truly would ever love._

_"Sinasabi ko na nga ba." With those words, she turned around and left._

He woke up in a cold sweat.

He mulled over the dream and what he meant. He had resolved so long ago that he never felt anything more than friendly affection for Dolores, and knew who he truly loved. Had he not reaffirmed it in the modern era so many times? Had he not proven it not just to himself but also to Jay?

His thoughts danced to that day in Hotel Stotsenburg where he first saw what appeared to be Dolores' reincarnation, showing shortly before he believed that he would be sacrificing himself. Then it moved to that day in the cafe when she dropped by, and the way that her appearance seemed to flicker before his very eyes. There was also an eerie feeling about her presence - as if it was much more unnatural than the existence of both the dopplegangers and the immortals combined.

He had to know who and  _what_ Dolores Nable Jose of the present was. And Jay had to know of his suspicions even before he voiced them out to the rest of the team.

He did not sleep again that night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is it, pancit!


	22. Ulan

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Someone steals a kiss from Joven and Nonong meets an old flame.

_He saw them kiss once, saw them embrace each other during the next tumultuous days. He saw how Vicente pined for Adela, how the boy seemed torn between acting upon his stormy feelings and staying true to his duty. He advised him against it and thankfully Vicente listened._

_Seeing them still sent such a pang in his heart. He missed his home, he missed his normal life, and he missed Angela most of all. Deny as he might, he knew that he truly loved her. He had a feeling that she could help keep most nightmares at bay - nightmares of ruined bodies and death and blood. He dreamed of Luna and Paco and the Bernals. He dreamed of Rusca's final night in the camp, of his corpse._

_All the while, the camp moved steadily northward._

_They were at the edge of Dagupan when Gregorio approached him in his hut. There was something odd about the general lately. He seemed older, wearier, sadder. It might have just been a ruse - after all, he had proven himself to be a great actor when he wanted to, just like after Rusca's death. Then again, the responsibilities and the loyalties he had chosen for himself may have started to take their toll._

_He stood by the locked door, as tall and as straight as he could, a stormy look in his dark eyes. A sudden fear struck Joven - and not for his life. He knew that the general preyed not only on young women, but also the occassional men. He hoped that it was not the case, and was merely basing his fears on the man's reputation._

_"Ginoong Hernando," Gregorio said in a brusque tone that was far from the gentlemanly yet commanding cadence that he usually had. "Mabuti't nandito ka."_

_"Dito lang naman talaga ako namamalagi," Joven shot back, trying to stay as calm as possible despite the hatred he felt for Gregorio. "Anong kailangan mo sa akin?"_

_"Alam mo ba kung bakit nandito ka sa aking kampo?" Gregorio began._

_Joven tilted his head, baffled. "Hindi ba't nandito ako dahil malapit ako kay Heneral Luna?"_

_"Ganoon na nga. Marami kang mga bagay na alam at natutunan na ikinatatakot ng mga nakatataas satin - lalo na ang Senyor Presidente." Gregorio never broke their eye contact, though there was briefly an audible quiver in his voice. What was wrong with him? "Dinala kita dito dahil hindi niya aakalain na kinupkop kita, upang maprotektahan ka sa mga maaari nilang gawin sa iyo."_

_"Kung ganoon man iyon ay nagpapasalamat ako sa iyo,"  Joven said half heartedly. He knew how much Gregorio lied. Still, he was quite aware that he was in a better situation, compared to the fates of Luna's aides.  
_

_"Hindi lamang ito dahil kay Poleng, kung iyon ang tanong mo." Gregorio lowered his voice at the mention of his former lover's name. A small, bitter smile played upon his lips. "Sinubukan ko ang lahat upang mailigtas kayo - at wala akong nagawa. Kaya kahit sa iyo lamang ay susubukan kong gawin ang nararapat."_

_"Alam mo, heneral, medyo nalilito na ako kung alin pa ang mga katotohanan sa iyong mga sinasabi," Joven argued._

_Gregorio seemed unfazed by his insult. "Hindi ko alam kung sino ang nagmasid sa kampo at nagpaalam sa presidente na nandito ka. Ginawa ko ang lahat upang di nila malaman." He clenched his fists and had to regain his composure. "Kailangan mong umalis dito bago sumapit ang gabi. Papunta na ang presidente at gusto ka raw niyang makausap. Sigurado akong alam mo din ang maaaring ibig sabihin nito."_

_Fear threatened to choke Joven. He was trapped between a rock and a hard place. On one side, it might have been a part of Gregorio's plot to get rid of him, and yet it could also be possible that he was telling the truth - that the president was looking for him and the knowledge he had._

_Fool he may be but he decided to trust his instincts - and Gregorio._

**Monday, 01-18-16, 1:30 PM, Tea-rad Pass**

It was a busy morning. Despite the fact that it was a gloomy, drizzly day, a notable number of people actually ended up forming a queue in the cafe. He ended up hauling himself to the bar to assist Goyong, who could barely move after getting his brand new stitches. The crowd let up after lunchtime, thankfully, though he still stayed behind the bar to accompany his friend, who seemed upset by something.

He also had a small, quiet feeling that something was going to go wrong soon.

Angela arrived after lunchtime, a catlike smile still on her face. Her bubblegum pink hair was tied back in a braid, which actually suited her.

She placed her order with Rusca, who seemed too drowsy and out of it to do anything more than work on autopilot, then sat on her usual seat by the bar. She drummed her fingers on the bar as she waited for Goyong to take care of her drink, creating a hypnotic rythim that sent odd chills down Joven's spine.

"Buti andyan ka?" she said, suddenly noting the fact that he was working as a barista that day.

"Madami kasing tao kanina," he replied, trying to make sure that he did not sound as flustered as he felt.

Goyong turned red and shifted away with a sheepish smile. "Napilitan siyang tumulong kasi hindi pa ako gaanong makagalaw. Pasensya, binibini."

Angela narrowed her eyes. "Bakit para kang lolo kung makapagsalita?" she asked.

"Ganyan talaga yan, mas lolo pa kesa sa lolo ko." Joven noted with a wry grin. _At mas matanda rin siya sa lolo ko. At malamang sa lolo mo rin._

Goyong just shrugged good naturedly  as he set down the drink. "Nakasanayan lang," he said with a grin.

Angela nodded, though she didn't sound convinced. She turned back to Joven, though. "Busy ka ba?" she asked, sounding the slightest bit worried. "Hindi lang ako pwedeng magtagal ngayon pero pwede ba tayong magusap bukas?"

That sounded  _too_ serious. Joven nodded. "May problema ba sa akin?"

"Wala naman pero..." Angela downed her drink with one long swig and resumed her customarily brilliant smile. "Medyo importante kasi ito, may kinalaman ata sa family history niyo."

 _Family history._ For someone with a family like his - for someone who reincarnated as his own  _descendant,_ as a matter of fact - that term was quite a big word. It wasn't to be taken lightly. He suddered as goosebumps began to form along the length of his arms. It was like someone handed him a ticking timebomb with the timer blackened out.

He gave her his most understanding not, fighting back against his instinct to fidget and panic. He was going to hold his ground. "Descended nga ako sa isang tao na kinainteresan ng mga history buffs ng bansa pero... madami kaming hindi alam sa family tree - gaya nung asawa ng unang Joven Hernando at kung anak ba talaga niya ang lolo ko sa tuhod."

Was it just him or did the mention of his past life make her  _wince?_

Maybe it was just him.

She shook her head and chuckled. "Sigurado akong sobrang interesting ito sayo. Promise ko yun, ha? Sige, mauna na muna ako. Magkikita pa kami ni Ate Tina." She leaned forward and kissed him on the cheek before she hopped off her seat and flounced away.

Dumbstruck, Joven simply watched her as she departed the cafe, mouth hanging open. His brain simply  _refused_ to process what just happened, though he could faintly hear his own friends snickering at him.

**Monday, 01-18-16, 4:30 PM, SM Clark Food Court**

He was still on a state of pleasant shock when he drove himself to the mall with Jay, Goyong and Nonong to meet up with Aurora Aragon. Rusca's car - containing Rusca himself, Jose, and Vince - was right ahead of them to make sure that he and his passengers would make it safely through the city proper, the business district of Balibago, and the outskirts of Clark Airbase where the mall was situated... and also to provide moral support - and some lighthearted teasing - with the youngest member of the team.

Well, he didn't really need their help. Despite feeling a little detached from the world all because of a simple  _kiss_ on the cheek, he still held his feet firmly on the ground when it came to important matters. Still, he appreciated his friends. They all truly did look out for each other in their own ways.

"Ito na yung pinakamatinong lutang na kilala ko," Vince noted with a smile when they finally made their way into the mall. "Anyare nga ba sayo, kuya?"

"Nakascore ng kiss kay Angela," Jay said smugly. "Pag si Nonong nagclick kay Aurora, paghahanap din kita ng date."

Vince turned red at that, looking absolutely flustered. "A-Ate Jay, ano ba? Hindi ko naman k-kailangan ng date!"

"Sinabi namin lahat yan noon," Goyong noted with a small wince. "Tignan mo kung anong nangyari."

Jose laughed at that. "Ayan, naging notorious ex fuckboy ng bayan ka tuloy."

"Ex fuckboy, oo," Jay said a little too defensively. She grinned and the tip of a silvery knife flashed briefly from the edge of her jacket sleeve. She never did explain how she managed to dodge metal detectors through the years. "Alam naman nating lahat kung anong mangyayari sakanya pag nagkaroon ng relapse diba?"

The group burst into mad laughter as they headed into the food court entrance for a quick snack. Joven smiled. Despite the fact that he often came off as a lone wolf, he loved being around the team - and he wouldn't have life any other way.

Though he would definitely prefer it if Angela stayed in his life too, he admitted.

**Bonus**

**Monday, 01-18-16, 5:00 PM, SM Clark Food Court**

He first saw her when he had a quick pee in the comfort room while the rest of the team waited for their orders. As if it wasn't bad enough that his knees were already shaking so badly at the prospect of probably meeting the woman he once married - and cheated on. Of course, fate had to be a cruel msitress and let him catch a glimpse of her.

She was sitting on one of the benches near the comfort room area, dressed in the white and gray unifrom of Holy Angel University, armed with a backpack and a T-square. Apparently she was busy trying to arrange some contents of her bag, so she didn't notice him immediately.

He had to run back to the comfort room and pee again in sheere terror when she finally looked up and caught him staring. Luckily she was gone by the time he slipped out.

He didn't say a word to the rest of the team once he rejoined them. He knew that teasing was a way for all of them to show affection, but he thought he would end up throwing up and peeing in his pants and fainting - in no particular order - if they started joking right then and there.

Jay seemed terribly perceptive that day, though. "Daig mo pa yung mga may legit na first date," she noted with a brazen grin as she pinched his cheek. "Wag kang magalala, mabait naman yun."

They met her standing right beside the nearby escalator a while later, her hands on her hips as she regarded the approaching group. She smiled sweetly at them and the sight of it made his knees go weak. It wasn't  _fair,_ but he couldn't complain out loud of course. Jay introduced the group to her, and she greeted them politely enough, though the feisty smile that bloomed on her face made him nervous.

"Alam mo namang laude bago lande ako, nay," she told Jay. "Pero segue lang, balita ko may tatay na ako."

"Bakit nay ang tawag mo sakanya?" Goyong asked. "Naku, di mo naman agad sinabi sa akin na batang ina ka pala, mahal."

"Gago ka po," Jay said with a wince. "Aurora, ito si Greg - boyfriend ko."

"Nice to meet you po!" Aurora pinched his cheek before turning back to Jay. "Bakit niyo ako pinapakilala sa pinsan niyo?"

Jay grinned. "Parang bagay kasi kayo - diba, Nonong?"

Nonong stepped forward and held out his hand. "Manuel Luis Hernando Quizon, third year nursing student."

"Aurora Antonia Molina Aragon, third year civil engineering  _andd_ architecture student." Aurora's grin widened. There was a fire in her in the present that did not exist - or was sadly smothered - in the past.

"Uy, badass ka ah. I like badass women." Nonong chuckled. He didn't know why he had the sudden urge to flirt with her. He held out his hand. "Mukhang bagay nga ata tayo."

"Nakow, breezy pala si Kuya." Aurora grinned and took his hand - and judoflipped him down the blissfully empty escalator. "Sabi ni Inay, wag matakot gumamit ng dahas kapag may humihirit na breezy fuckboy sayo."

He tumbled down the escalator painfully, wondering why she had him whipped so quickly despite the feeling of guilt he always associated with his memories of her.


	23. She's So Lovely

_Sunset was on its way when Joven followed Vicente to the stables, taking great care not to get spotted by the other soldiers. The shadow of the small, shoddily made building felt both restricting and comforting to him. He still had second thoughts about Gregorio's statement, wondering how much of it was the truth and how much were lies twisted into some semblance of a truth._

_Adela Reyes was waiting inside, holding the reins to a black stallion and clutching a small package with her free hand. "Ginoong Hernando," she began, her voice noticeably warmer compared to her usual clipped, businesslike tone. "Ginawa ko itong alampay na ito para sa iniirog mo. Pakisabi kay Binibining Buencamino na ipinabibigay ito ng isang kaibigan." She made sure to carefully tuck it away in the saddlebags._

_"Hindi ka na dapat nagabala pa," Joven argued, though a small smile bloomed from his lips. He was a little disappointed that he'd never see any romance between the to colonels._

_"Maaaring hindi na tayo magkita muli pagkatapos ng araw na ito," she continued sadly. "Maaari kaming masawi sa digmaan. At alam ko din na marami kaming kasalanan sa iyo, Ginoo."_

_Joven turned to Vicente for help, but the other soldier simply smiled and shrugged before handing him a book - Don Quixote. It was quite battered, as if the previous owner read it again and again._

_"Pinangalagahan namin ang kabutihan mo sa amin, Joven," the boy chirped with a bright smile. "Pagpalain ka sana."_

_His vision blurred from the tears he quickly supressed. The two saluted him - and then they were gone from the stables before he knew it. He barely had time to wipe his eyes dry before another colonel slipped into the stables - Julian del Pilar, clutching a fresh set of the rayadillo uniform._

_"Ginoong Hernando, naisip namin na mas magiging madali ang iyong pagtakas kung magpapanggap kang isang kawal na maghahatid ng mensahe."_

_There it was, the similar manner of speaking he shared with his brother - calm, apparently rational, but containing a fire that smoldered within. While Gregorio hid everything in a veneer of charm, Julian armed himself with his pleasant demeanour that probably masked a shadow as foul as his brother's. The oddly broken look that glinted in his eyes since Manuel Bernal's torture and murder did not help at all._

_Of course, he already made his choice to trust Gregorio and flee. He slipped into the uniform - which was a little too loose for him - and also accepted the revolver that was offered to him. He slipped it into the holster that came with his uniform, wondering if he would ever need it._

_Julian held out a jacket for him. "Lumalamig na ang simoy ng hangin, at malayo pa ang iyong lalakbayin. Mas kakailanganin mo ito kaysa sa akin."_

_Gregorio was waiting for them outside, mounted atop his white stallion. "Sasamahan na kita hanggang Dagupan - iisipin nila na pinuntahan ko si Dolores at wala akong malay sa pagbisita ni Senyor Aguinaldo."_

_Joven bit his tongue and prevented himself from saying something about the young woman that the general was rumored to be betrothed to. Despite his words, it seemed like it was too easy for him to forget about Poleng. His gut still twisted whenever he remembered the messenger arriving with news of her death - and seethed from the lack of further information - not even the date or manner of her death._

_The ride to Dagupan was a quiet one. Gregorio seemed to at least be aware that his companion did not want to talk._

_Of course, the general had something to say before parting. He handed Joven with a letter folded carefully and tucked into a small envelope. "Isa itong liham para kay Poleng," he explained. "Alam kong hindi niyo mapapatawad ang aking mga kasalanan ngunit..."_

_"Gagawin ko ito - para sa pinsan ko at hindi para sa iyo." Joven said firmly._

_"Naiintindihan ko." Gregorio smiled and handed him a small wooden box. "Ito lamang ang mga kamitang naikalap ko mula kay Heneral Luna at kanyang mga kaibigan. Huwag mong hayaang mamatay sila sa iyong ala-ala. Pagpalain ka."_

_It seemed like he was truly, irrevocably free._

**Tuesday, 01-19-16, 11:30 AM, Tea-rad Pass**

Sure that she wouldn't be dropping by that day, Joven spent his free time poring over his journal. He found a group of numbers that looked like coordinates. Aside from that, there was nothing else that seemed unusual in the old journal.

He filed it away so he could search for the coordinates at a later time. As the review of the journal was complete, he truly had nothing else to help him stay distracted. His stomach felt terribly queasy whenever he thought of the fact he would be meeting with Angela that afternoon. The mere fact that they were going to discuss something right out of their past lives was enough to send him into an unusual state of panic.

Goyong seemed to notice it and forced him to sit on his usual spot instead of helping out in the bar. "Hindi naman siguro ako babalik sa ospital kung mga tatlong orders yung pagsasabayin ko dito," he said cheerfully.

Jay smiled as she leaned over her spot from the counter. "Mukhang wala naman kayong problema ni Angela ah, bakit kinakabahan ka?"

"Hindi naman ako matapang - di gaya niyo." Joven's eyes flicked down.  _Walang maalala si Angela tungkol sa nakaraan at natatakot akong harapin ang mga kasalanan ko. Hindi ko kayo kasintapang._

Courage. That was it. He was defiant enough to face his future head on to resist being snowballed from one problem to another, and yet he was afraid of facing the ghosts of the past. He feared his memories. He feared his sins. He feared her wrath.

He looked up to see the two staring at him with concern upon their faces. Long ago, he never would have expected Goyong to be capable of such emotions, but then again he had learned so much in between lifetimes. People - no matter how vile - still changed, and no one was truly good nor truly evil.

"Ayos lang ako," he said, his voice thankfully sounding firmer, stronger. "Medyo kabado lang ako dahil baka nga... naaalala na niya. Pero yun lang yun, promise."

Neither of them seemed convinced by his words, and he wasn't sure how to reassure them either. He never had been good with that. He reflected that it could be one of the reasons why he would never be an effective leader.

Jay's eyes seemed to flicker, displaying the pained light that he only ever saw twice - once when her ex boyfriend revealed just how much he was using her, and another when their mother almost killed her. "Lahat ata tayo may konting kinakatakot tungkol sa mga nakaraan natin. Hindi ka nagiisa.  _Ala namang mipanglakwan kekatamu diba?" Wala namang nagiiwanan sa atin diba?_

He smiled. "May punto ka."

He had to be brave. He had to keep his feet anchored on the ground despite the way that the tides of his past would try to pull him under.

**Tuesday, 01-19-16, 3:15 PM, Holy Rosary Parish**

He could still feel everyone's stares when he dashed out of the cafe and hopped into his car. He felt his hands trembling despite his reassurance to himself that he would be fine, despite all the conditioning that he forced upon his murky thoughts.

He tried hard not to recall the silence between them during that day, so long ago, when they were told that they would be married. He remembered the shame he felt, and the unreadable gleam of her eyes. He feared her silence, feared the wrath that it could have concealed.

It was such a shame, really, that the church wasn't that far from the cafe, just a couple of minutes away - thirty seconds if one pushed it without the traffic. With the courtyard parking lot full to the brim with both school services and children from the parrochial school, he had to park a small distance away in a small commercial compound.

The next few minutes he dedicated to walking helped clear his mind somewhat, but he still wondered how to deal with whatever the very immediate future would bring.

He found her standing by the church gates, a clutching a pair of history books. She smiled as he approached and flicked away some of her vivid pink hair. She didn't seem angry  _yet._ He hoped that her demeanour would stay the same in the next few minutes.

"Hi, pasensya na. Pinaghintay pa ata kita," he began.

Her smile widened as she shook her head. "Wala yun. Tara hanap tayo ng masisilungan?"

He nodded - both to her and to himself for reassurance. "Baka umitim ka pa," he tried to joke.

They ended up inside the church - it was relatively quiet and cool in side, though the voice of a multitude of children still echoed from the courtyard surrounding it. Joven felt his goosebumps rise as he looked around. Angela began to drum her fingers on the back of a church pew as she seemed to gather the courage to start talking.

"Alam kong medyo weird pero naniniwala ka ba sa reincarnation?" she finally asked.

He was right. She  _did_ know. "Oo pero... bakit?"

"Joven - alam mo ba kung gaano kalaki ang resemblance niyo nung original na Joven Hernando?" she asked, wringing her hands in agitation. "Hindi lang yung sa mukha eh - pati sa bearing, pati sa pagsasalita. Pasensya na kung parang nasobrahan ako sa mikmik kaso naman kasi..."

"...parang perfect copy niya ako?" he pressed on. "Pano kung sabihin kong ako nga siya? Sasabihin mo din bang ikaw din yung original na Angela Buencamino na pakakasalan dapat niya?"

"Hindi lang pakakasalan - at alam mo na yun." Angela grinned and threw her arms around him, pulling him close. "Hindi mo agad sinabi sakin, lintek ka." With her demure personality, that  _one_ profane word jarred him so much. "Sa totoo lang, hindi ko naman maaalala to kung di ka nagpakita sakin nung unang bisita ko sa cafe."

Pleased and yet still confused, it took him a while to reciprocate her embrace. "Hindi ko maintindihan," he admitted.

"Naalala ko lahat nung nakita kita," she mused sadly. "As in  _lahat._ "

"Alam mo din sigurong ginago kita, ano?" he murmured, pulling himself away from her. He couldn't stand remembering all the mistakes he commited in his foolish past life. "Maiintindihan ko naman kung magagalit ka sakin."

"Hindi ako nagalit noon," she said, looking up at him with those wide, dark eyes. "Hindi rin ako galit ngayon." She smiled and patted his cheek. "New life, new record. Iwan na natin ang kahapon."

He wasn't sure just how much forgiving him would benefit her, but starting everything cleanly seemed like a good idea.

He wouldn't ruin everything again.


	24. Fingerprints

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Joven really can't get a break.

_He never removed his uniform until he was sure that he was well away from the army host that steadily retreated northward. He headed south, stopping only for respite in small places where he was sure that no one would recognize him. He was relieved - though perplexed - that he truly was free._

_He had been expecting the general to betray him in a horrific way. Still, he doubted the warning that Gregorio slid into Vicente Enriquez' parting gift - a warning for him to stay away from his home, and a hint that he might have been labelled a criminal._

_He asked around the towns he passed, trying to get information about Poleng's fate. No one in Tarlac - not even from her husband's hometown of Bamban - knew what exactly happened to the rich landowner and his wife or where they were buried. He tried his luck in the town of Mabalacat, but all they gave him were shrugs... all except for one man._

_He was clean shaven and dressed in clothes that would have been expensive in such troubled times. He carried himself like an Illustrado, which probably explained everything. "Alam ko kung saan nakahimlay si GInang Santos - o Binibining Hernando marahil sa iyo. Ngunit hindi pa ligtas ang lugar ng kanyang himlayan." He smiled and left before the baffled Joven could even process his words._

* * *

_He stood in her grave - Angela Buencamino's grave. He had been barely home for more than a couple of hours when his brother, who had somehow resumed his identity, mentioned that she died about a year after he left. It seemed like there was more to the story but with Angela's family having left for the north and his brother himself refusing to say more on the matter, he probably would never get his answers._

_He had no idea how long he sat there, crying his eyes out as he gazed at the epitaph. It felt like a part of him died without his knowledge. He wanted to join her, simply sleep away as the war raged on around him, and yet he also thirsted for the truth - truth about Luna's death, the president's apparent treachery, and who exactly Gregorio del Pilar was. The journals he wrote, the analysis he made, they never seemed to bring him closer to the knowledge he sought._

_Loud footsteps jolted him out of his thoughts. He looked up to see town guards surrounding him, accompanied by his brother himself who was clad in the same uniform - those of men who served their new conquerors._

_"Ito ba ang iyong kapatid, Lorenzo?" one of the guards asked in a guttural voice. "Ang manunulat na ipinahahanap ng presidente?"_

_"Siya nga." Lorenzo stepped forward, clutching the journals that Joven left behind at home in his haste to visit the grave. "Ang manunulat na nagtatangkang sirain ang pangalan ng presidente. Nabasa ko ang mga ito, Joven, at mukhang maraming magagalit sa mga... kaalaman na naisaad mo dito." He turned to his companions. "Hulihin niyo siya."_

* * *

_His brother and his companions were two faced traitors who dressed in the clothes of their enemy, served their foes, and yet fulfilled bounties that came from the true government. He knew not what to feel about it, but his sorrow over Poleng and Angela's deaths have been eclipse by his rage, which reached a boiling point when he heard that his journals have been burned and that the parting gifts he received were missing._

_There was nothing he could do, of course. He threw plates and glasses and silverware around his small cell but it did nothing to alleviate his pain and anger and sadness._

**Tuesday, 01-19-16, 6:45 PM, Brgy. Pulung Bulo**

The city was in turmoil yet again. A little over a month after a serial killer stopped its reign of terror, and there was news again of yet another murder in the city - this time smack dab in the border between Angeles City and San Fernando. Even the method of the murder was similar, with the slit throat and the Magdiwang sun carved upon the body.

"Akala ko bang yung anino ni Andoy yung may kagagawan nung mga dating murders?" Luna was saying over the phone while Nonong and the Enriquez brothers were knee deep into hacking the police database for more information. "Sino nanaman tong punyetang nambubulabog sa Pampanga?"

"Hindi ko din po alam," Joven said with a sigh while the rest of the team watched him anxiously. "Baka ito po yung mga ibang anino na sinasabi nung Paul Ridel na yun."

"Yung tanong diyan eh kung hindi rin siya anino na nanloloko sainyo," Luna began cautiously. "Pero parang... medyo pamilyar ano?"

Joven nodded. "Ganun na nga po."

"Holy shit," Nonong called out from the living room. "Tignan niyo to oh."

"Sige, mamaya nalang tayo magusap. Tutulungan ko pa sa science homework itong si JR." Luna seemed barely able to contain his rage at this unknown killer - after all, he and his family lived just a couple of minutes away from where the corpse was found. "Saka nalang tayo magusap tungkol diyan sa killer na yan."

The group gathered around Nonong's laptop, which showed the bloody crime scene pictures. The corpse was apparently found right by the terminal's wooden fence, lying spread eagled on the sparse grass. There was a look of confused terror on his square jawed face, made even more horrifying with the man's dead, glassy eyes.

The words La Solidaridad were written upon the fence in blood.

"Dios mio patatas," Goyong snapped. "May kinalaman ba kay  _Tito Selong_ yung bagong anino? Pakshet naman."

"Selong... Selong... as in si Marcelo del Pilar? Yung writer?" Rusca asked, leaning from the couch that he was dozing off on.

Jose nodded thoughtfully. "Di ba siya yung isa sa mga editor ng... shet, La Solidaridad."

Joven recalled his Philippine history lessons. He always felt odd whenever he saw that name - as if he should know something but couldn't quite recall it no matter how much he tried. It felt like it had something to do with the journals he lost.

"Possible bang nagpaparamdam yung anino gamit yung pangalan na yun dahil pamangkin ni Marcelo yung isa sa atin?" asked Manuel.

Etong nodded. "Wala talagang ibang ebidensya oh," he quipped. "Yung bangkay lang mismo saka yung nakasulat sa bakod. Tangina mas mailap pa ata to kaysa dun sa anino ni Ka Andres."

"Wag mong sasabihing si Marcelo del Pilar mismo yung anino," Joven said darkly.

"Wag naman sana," Vince said earnestly. "Gusto ko pang makita si Tito Selong pero hindi sa ganyan. Foul yun, foul."

Goyong rubbed his chest uncomfortably. "Punyeta, Narraramdaman ko talaga na siya yung anino - o isang taong malapit sakanya. Hindi maaaring walang kinalaman si Tito Selong." In his agitation, he was slowly slipping into his antiquated cadence. "Kailangan nating mahanap ang aninong ito - agad, kung maaari."

"Ano, tapos muntikan ka nanamanang mamatay?" Paco asked, a worried edge to his usually calm voice. "Hindi pwede, dapat maingat tayo. Tawagan muna natin si Ka Andres."

Surprisingly, the boy general backed down at that, though he still looked agitated.

Joven pursed his lips. "Hindi muna natin laban ito," he mused, wondering if his search for his documents and Paul Ridel's emergence actually had anything to do with the new doppleganger. Remembering the man who attacked him and Tina del Rosario in Manaoag did not help either.

**Tuesday, 01-19-16, 6:45 PM, Brgy. Pulung Bulo**

He was lying on the living room window, drowning in his murky thoughts. He feared for his sister and cousins. He feared for his friends. He feared for Angela.

He had a vague feeling that the second doppleganger headed to Pampanga because he began his quest for his journals - as if the dark, twisted creature was also interested in their contents. He stared at the dagger he found in the ancestral house basement - a weapon which was one of the few which can kill dopplegangers.

Was it a call to arms of some sort?

"Kuya, sobrang lalim nanaman yang iniisip mo. Baka malunod ka." Jay hovered nearby with a small snile, arms crossed over her chest. She chuckled when he looked up and shook her head. There was a tense look in her eyes when she sat right in front him, though. "Gaano ba kadaling matrigger yung mga memories mo? Parang ang bilis bumalik halos lahat ng sayo - yung akin tangina naman, hanggang ngayon nalimit lang sa lovelife."

He understood her thirst for her memories - after all, that would have been him in the same place. After all, the small holes in his memories also irked him. The feeling that they were important didn't help matters either.

"Naalala ko agad yung lahat nung sumali ako sa Angelite. Yun na yun mismo," he admitted. "Siguro kasi sobrang lapit nun sa ginagawa ko nung past life ko."

Jay scowled. "Yun nga eh. Ano bang ginawa ko nung past life ko? Nilandi si Goyong, naging masunuring anak pero putangina naman, Kuya! Hindi ako dalagang Pilipina. Hindi ako dutiful daughter. Pinakamalapit na yung... relationship ko kay Goyong pero kahit yun wala namang nagawa! Gusto kong malaman ano ba yung mga kasalanan ko noon - kung pano ko kayo hindi saktan. Pakshet, gusto kong malaman bakit ko binasted si Goyong noon at bakit hindi ko sinabi sayo."

It's been a while since he saw her so agitated - she had acted relatively calmly during the most recent emergencies in their lives. He knew he had to comfort her but had no words to say. All he could do was wrap his arms around his sister and let her rant.

He hated feeling so helpless, so  _useless._

**Tuesday, 01-19-16, 9:30 PM, Angeles-San Fernando Border**

Julian loved driving fast, especially at night. He supposed it had something to do with the daredevil in him that he tried so hard to supress in his previous life, the daredevil that got smothered further by the guilt brought upon him by the president's orders. Being carried away by the speed amidst all the shadows felt so thrilling, made him feel alive and unrestrained by the web of duties and responsibilities that the past once shackled him to.

It was well past office hours so the highway was blissfully devoid of the terrible traffic that it was usually subjected to. He wasn't even supposed to be traveling that night but he had to retrieve some things from the family home in Bacolor.

He dropped by a convenience store for a bottle of iced tea and was on his way back to his car when a shout tore through the quiet streets.

A man clad in black hurtled through the empty highway sidewalk, clutching a backpack close to him. A tall woman in  _purple_ hair ran after what seemed to be a snatcher, brandishing a pair of silvery, ornate  _swords._

Time seemed to stop as she sped right past him, and his stomach quivered. It seemed like he just caught a glimpse of his wife - his  _widow_ \- from his past life,  _Tina._

Time hadn't changed her at all.

He stared at the two and didn't think twice about helping her out. Clutching his drink with his free hand, he lurched forward, wondering why he was heading for trouble unarmed  _yet again._ The last time it happened, he barely got away from getting his throat slit. He had a feeling that Goyong - the very same Goyong who apparently hadn't really died in Tirad Pass - wouldn't pop out of nowhere this time to haul his sorry ass out of danger.

Of course, he couldn't just sit around, though - especially not when he finally had a chance to see Tina again. He knew that he was probably going to get killed or at least hurt by a potentially armed mugger, but he had to risk it. He got lucky once and might get a repeat performance.


	25. Damn Regrets

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Joven resumes his treasure hunt.

_The days and weeks and months blended into one murky whole. He wasn't exactly sure how long he had been detained, only that he was miserable and angry and desperate - for what, he could not explain either._ _The guards left him mostly alone. He saw his brother once during his detention - only for Lorenzo to gloat that his journals have been burned and that he would be leaving the town to go live with Poleng's parents somewhere to the north. Other guards mostly showed up only to shove stale food in his cell or jeer at him. He bore it all as stoically as he could. He knew that complaining would never help him._

_One more thing that set him off was news of del Pilar's death somewhere to the north, and the fact that some of his adjudants were currently missing. He hoped for their sake that Vicente and Adela - and even Julian - managed to survive the massacre that ensued._

_To his horrified amusement, he found himself missing the much milder detainment he experienced in the del Pilar brigade. At least he had been treated kindly by his former captors._

* * *

_The measly lamp that provided him with light had gone out past midnight that day. He was sure that Christmas and the New Year have already gone and passed him by, and yet he had no idea what date it actually was. He was staring at the ceiling - unable to sleep and highly aware of even the slightest noise in his surroundings._

_Thinking about memories of the past did not help him one bit, either._

_The sudden rustling outside his cell made him sit right up. He fumbled for his eye glasses and prepared to defend himself, no matter how futile, in case someone tried to harm him. He was sure that he wouldn't last long against someone who was born to fight._

_He stood up, bracing himself as a faint metallic sound emanated from the door. The knob began to move, as if someone was trying to pry off the lock. He had a feeling that there was no guard on the other side, as it would have just taken them a measly five to ten seconds in order to open the door._

_It creaked open and someone peered in - the man from Mabalacat who seemed to have an idea about Poleng's fate and her final resting place. He seemed thinner, gaunter, faint patches of stubble forming over his upper lip. He raised his finger to silence Joven._

_"Ginoong Hernando, nandito ako upang palayain ka," he said in a quiet, mellow voice._

_Joven stared at him, bewildered. Everything came out of absolutely nowhere. "A-Anong ibing mong sabihin, ginoo?"_

_The man's smile widened. "Hindi tayo gagambalain ng mga guardia kahit maglamierda tayo sa gusaling ito magdamag." He coughed. "Pinatulog ko sila."_

_It wasn't just surprising - it was odd. Could it be a trap? "Hindi ko maintindihan."_

_"Hindi mo na kailangang intindihin sa ngayon." The man smiled cheekily and there was something awfully familiar about it. It was how Gregorio smiled when they were younger, when he still had Poleng's love. "Ano, hijo? Kalayaan o hindi? Mamili ka."_

_Well, it seemed like a new opportunity had opened to him. He had to take a leap of faith._

* * *

_"Hindi ko parin po alam ang inyong pangalan," Joven told his rescuer as they entered the border between San Fernando and Angeles. It had been three days since he escaped with his companion's assistance._

_"Tawagin mo nalang akong Selong," the man said jovially. "Isa akong kaibigan."_

_"Bakit mo ako tinutulungan, Ginoong Selong?" Joven stumbled against the dirt road and would have fallen flat on his face if the man called Selong did not pull him to his feet. "Dahil din po ba ito sa mga bagay na natutunan ko sa campo nina Heneral Luna at del Pilar?"_

_"Marahil ay iisipin mo iyon pero hindi." Selong smiled. "Tumutulong ako sa mga nangangailangan, hijo, para na rin sa ikatatahimik ko. At hindi ko maaaring hayaang lumaking walang ama ang iyong anak."_

_"Ang aking anak?" Joven's voice cracked. "Ano pong ibig ninyong sabihin?"_

_"Ang anak niyo ni Angela," Selong said, his voice turning somber. "Namatay si Angela upang isilang siya sa mundo."_

**Wednesday, 01-20-16, 4:30 PM, Brgy. Pulung Bulo**

He finally figured out the location on the coordinates that were laid out for him on his second journal. They all pointed to the house. For some reason it made perfect sense. There were so many discarded items in the basement from the five generations of Hernandos who resided in it. The problem was knowing what exactly he was supposed to be looking for or where it was. The basement wasn't exactly small or cramped. Looking around for something unspecified would be almost as terrible as mucking around a haystack while searching for a needle.

"Ewan ko naman kasi sayo," noted Jay. She sneezed as she set aside some dusty vases that their grandfather brought from a trip somewhere in Europe. The Hernando family had seen better days, after all. "Daig pa natin yung nagtreasure hunting sa ginagawa natin ngayon."

 _"Balamu makanta na pin." Parang ganoon na nga._ Joven winced as he nearly dropped some old picture frames that all turned up empty.

Goyong chuckled from his corner of the basement, sifting through some stained school textbooks. "Alam niyo kasi, aking mga _Gras_ _shopper_ , hindi ganoon kadaling hanapin ang mga bagay na ayaw magpahanap - sobrang halaga. Pag minsan nagpapabebe muna yung mga yan."

"Ano, gaya mo pag hinahanap ka ng mga ex mo noon?" Manuel asked with a smirk as he stepped in with a tray laden with glasses of ice cold water.  _"Dios ko, kalisangan pala keni ne?" Dios ko, ang init pala dito ano?_

Joven winced as he gratefully grabbed one of the glasses. They barely covered a tenth of the basement that day and noting was concealed by the items that they sorted through. Well at least it served the second purpose of clearing up the mess.

Not everyone was happy with the prospect of cleaning, of course.

Etong seemed to treat their work as something worse than a revolutionary war. Half his face was concealed by a large handkerchief while he pulled around some old rolled up linoleum mats that must have been used upstairs long ago. "Ganyan ba kadisorganized yung pamilya mo?" he complained.

"Look who's talking," argued Nonong. He paused to sneak out a piece of cheesebread from Rusca's unattended plate before turning back to his school book. "Sino kaya yung palaging napapaligiran ng junk food wrappers?"

Joven suppressed a snort of laughter. Tedious though the job may be, it was always made lighter and better whenever his friends were around. Too bad their banter didn't make the search any faster.

**Wednesday, 01-20-16, 5:15 PM, Angeles University Foundation Medical Center**

Their work was cut short when Goyong received a call from one of his recently discovered relatives, Julio. Joven felt his skin tingle as he watched his friend haul himself upstairs to get a better reception. It was as if a storm was brewing, and lightning was about to strike them anytime. He hoped that he was just being paranoid, for everyone's sake. Either way, he was bracing himself for it - it wouldn't do him well to get caught up and let future events send his life spinning out of control just like the old days.

Goyong marched back to the basement, phone in hand, looking absolutely crestfallen. The boy general had been getting better and better with expressing his emotions. His personality seemed to had started to lean closer to who he was before the war - young, brilliant, hopeful, and as striking as a swiftly coursing river.

"Nasa ospital si Kuya Julian," he announced to the team. "Nakipagaway daw sa snatcher kagabi."

"Gusto mo bang bisitahin?" offered Joven. His skin crawled at the mention of a snatcher, wondering if it was just a more generous term for one of the dopplegangers.  _Oo na, napapraning na nga talaga ako._

Goyong looked up and nodded. "Kung pwede." He rubbed his chest anxiously. "Hindi ko lang alam sainyo pero may pakiramdam ako na hindi iyon snatcher."

It took him and Goyong roughly five minutes to dress up for a trip to the hospital and hop into the car. He wasn't even surprised to see Jay joining them shortly - the one who actually surprised him was  _Manuel._

"Kailangan naming magusap," the older Bernal brother said placidly. "Mukhang may sasabihin sana siya nung una siyang bumisita pero hindi nalang niya nagawa dahil pinigilan ko siya."

Joven nodded, remembering that Julian actually had something to do with Manuel's torture and subsequent death in the past. Knowing the men's present personalities, thinking about what happened made him feel queasy. He revved up the engine and backed out of the driveway, lost in thoughts of the past.

The antiseptic smell that pervaded throughout the hospital never failed to make him feel ill despite being the perfect picture of health. He would forever associate the smell with his father's death, his mother's imprisonment, and nearly losing his sister and a friend.

The elevators were taking  _forever_ to make their rounds, and Joven could see that Goyong was starting to get jittery from nerves. He knew that the boy general was never comfortable in hospitals either and sympathized with him.

The elevators were still somewhere in the higher floors when he felt his skin crawl. Something odd was lurking in the area and he was sure that he wouldn't like it. He looked around, wondering if one of the dopplegangers was lurking, but all he could see was a curly haired girl in a nursing student's uniform, clutching a pair of thick books and looking like she was waiting for someone. He frowned as he tried to recall why she looked quite familiar to him. It seemed like there was a haze forming in his mind whenever he tried to think too much of it.

There was something definitely wrong about that girl, but he couldn't pinpoint it.

"Shit, si Dolores yun," Goyong hissed under his breath.

"Dolores Nable Jose, oo," Manuel said grimly. "Hindi ba siya yung nagsabi sainyo na nagtatago ako malapit sa bahay nila?"

"Siya nga," agreed Goyong. "Pero parang may mali talaga sakanya." He rubbed his eyes and looked away as the elevator doors opened right in front of them. He looked back and tensed up when he realized that Dolores was staring at them. He quickly pressed the button to shut off the doors and set it to head for the fifth floor.

"May problema ba?" Jay asked. She seemed torn between being amused and jealous. "Hindi ba kaklase siya ni Nonong? Alam ko nagpakilala siya nung acquaintance party nila."

"Oo pero..." Goyong rubbed his eyes. "May kakaiba talaga akong nararamdaman eh. Putangina parang hindi siya tao - pero di rin anino at mas lalong hindi namin kagaya ni Ka Andoy."

Joven blinked as Goyong's words suddenly struck him with a sudden realization. Dolores Nable Jose was the odd, sinister girl with cryptic warnings who he met at the church in Manaoag.

**Bonus**

**Wednesday, 01-20-16, 5:30 PM, Angeles University Foundation Medical Center**

Julian's gut feeling was right - rushing headlong into potential danger without anything to protect himself with was not a good idea. He berated himself for letting the long supressed daredevil in him to rear its ugly head in the most inconvenient times. The peaceful times definitely did him good in a lot of ways, but it also turned him reckless.

He resolved to be more careful in the future. The mugger's knife barely missed his liver but at least he was able to get Tina's bag back and knock out the enemy with a couple. The last thing he remembered before blacking out from pain and blood loss was Tina yelling that she could have dealt with the thief. She was definitely right. Brilliant in warfare though he and his former brother may have been, Tina had always been better in hand to hand combat and swordsmanship.

Well, she was nice enough to drop by his hospital room and thank him earlier that day, at least. She was still pretty and kind despite her outward toughness, it seemed.

Julio dropped by after work and mentioned that Goyong - and probably some of his friends - would be visiting.

Well, his twin was right. Goyong hopped into the room looking pale and anxious, followed by his girlfriend -  _Poleng's_ reincarnation of all people - and Joven Hernando. They barely stepped in when the door creaked open yet again, and he almost stopped breathing when he saw  _Manuel Bernal,_ as grim and as serious as ever.

Goyong gave him a nervous, apologetic look, reminiscent of his younger days before the war, before the pain that Poleng caused him.

Manuel affixed him with haunted eyes. "Madami tayong dapat pagusapan, Julian."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy April Fools' day!


	26. Saturn

_They weren't far from Angeles when Joven finally asked the question that had been eating at him since shortly after he was broken out of his imprisonment. Selong's name jogged something in the memories he had been trying so hard to suppress - memories of happier, more peaceful times._

_"Ipagpaumanhin mo," he began as they stumbled through a forest path. "Ngunit gusto kong itanong - kayo po ba ang Tiyo Selong ni Heneral del Pilar?"_

_"Ah, ang paborito kong pamangkin. Madami ngang naging pagkakamali si Gregorio." Selong shook his head with a sad look in his eyes. "Sana'y natuto na siya sa mga pangyayari sa Tirad."_

_"Mukhang malabo na po iyon at nasawi daw po siya," Joven replied with a sigh. "Mukhang masyado na pong huli para sa kahit anumang aral na maaari niya pang makuha."_

_Selong smiled placidly. "Madaming mga bagay sa mundong ito na hindi natin mahahanapan ng tamang paliwanag," he said cryptically._

* * *

_He had finally found his way to the quiet town of Angeles, bringing only a name and an address with him. He wasn't even sure if this acquaintance of Selong's would give him sanctuary - after all, he had been separated from Selong since a group of trigger happy American border patrols chased after the two of them._

_It took only a couple of hours for him to locate the house - a two storey building with a small garden. It reminded him of his old home, sending a wistful jolt through his very being._

_The woman who greeted him by the door was Felisa Martinez, the young widow from his town who left from shame after some of the older women spread some rumors of an affair she head with a sacristan mayor. She was carrying a slim toddler in her arms - a toddler who had a surprisingly familiar smile._

* * *

_He laid low with his son - Joven II or Anghel as he grew up being called - for the next few years, living with Felisa and her son, Felipe. Selong never appeared again, but he stated in one of his letters that he was passing over the house - and the money he left in it - to Joven and Felissa. Felissa declined her portion and left it all to Joven, content with working as a maid and raising the children._

_All was quiet for the next few years. Starting over from the ashes of the past was difficult, but the anonymity that the town provided him actually lessened the burden._

_A surprise visitor came to visit a few days after his twenty eighth birthday. He was a man about the same age as Joven, tall and quite good looking, an aura of command and confidence surrounding him._

_"Ginoong Hernando?" he asked in a low voice._

_"Ako nga po." Joven felt his palms sweat, wondering what it would all be about._

_"Ako si Manuel Quezon - at may alok akong trabaho para sa iyo," the man said._

**Wednesday, 01-20-16, 5:45 PM, Angeles University Foundation Medical Center**

Joven could feel the tension in the room. It wasn't just because of Manuel's deep, shadowed stare. It also had something to do with the way that Julian seemed resigned to whatever kind of fate was in store for him. No one spoke for a while after Manuel's statement, as if everyone was afraid of an explosion that it might cause from the most reserved member of the team.

"Alam ko namang may karapatan kang magalit," admitted Julian. "Marami akong naging kasalanan sa inyo ni Jose, at tanggap ko yun."

Manuel shook his head, looking as grim as ever. "Kailangan kong lang malaman, Julian - totoo ba yung sinabi mo nung araw bago niyo ako pinatay? Na kaya mo akong patakasin doon?"

"Oo." Julian's eyes flickered darkly and for a while, his resemblance to Goyong was made more prominent. "Ipupuslit sana kita sa kampo noon kung pwede."

Manuel nodded, satisfied. "Kilala naman kita. Hindi ka marunong magsinungaling. Hindi ka natuto, kahit paano ka nilang turuan." He gave Goyong an aside glance.

"Alam naman nating lahat na mas disenteng tao si Kuya Julian," Goyong said quietly.

"Talaga bang napilitan lang kayo? Pareho?" Manuel pressed on.

Julian nodded. "Kinailangan naming sumunod - pamilya namin yung nakasalalay. Kaya nga nagalok ako na itakas ka nila eh. Para may dahilan kami para hindi ituloy yung inutos samin ng presidente."

"Ah, totoo nga." Manuel glanced at Goyong again, as if seeing him in a new light. "Naiintindihan ko na."

"Anong naiintindihan mo?" Julian asked warily.

Manuel shook his head and smiled for the first time since they drove off to the hospital. "Lahat. Wag kang magalala. Hindi na ako galit sainyo. Pinapatawad na kita."

Joven didn't understand half of what transpired, but he guessed it was a good thing.

**Thursday, 01-21-16, 3:15 PM, Angeles City Proper**

He was on his way home alone that day. Rusca was off with Nena, Jay had to meet up with high school friends, and Goyong was busy helping out the Bernals in setting up their book shop. Though he sometimes prefered to keep to himself, the silent trips home have started to become jarring ever since their team was formed.

For some odd reason, the traffic right outside the cafe was also worse than usual. There were a lot of other disgruntled drivers behind the wheel, while groups of students seemed to opt for walking all the way home - or at least walk their way past the traffic.

He barely eged past the cafe in the last few minutes, and he was sure that he could understand why the other drivers were fed up with the traffic jam. It was far from the normal heavy traffic flow that everyone associated with the heart of Angeles City. 

A few more minutes let him move a few more inches, revealing the sight of some policemen surrounding something in the small bridge that passed over  _Sapang Balen,_ the polluted river that ran through a great part of the city before eventually draining into the Pampanga River. A group of bystanders also lingered, murmuring among themselves.

Intrigued, Joven lowered the car wind caught the attention of one of the cafe regulars who was lurking around - a lonesome engineering student. The boy nodded to acknowledge him before solemnly approaching. "May pinatay nanaman sila," he explained. He pulled out his phone and showed some pictures that he managed to take from the crime scene.

The images he saw were as gruesome as the other doppleganger murders. He couldn't explain it but he had a feeling that they were facing with the second or even the third doppleganger. Whoever it was, it was definitely more cunning than Andoy's.

_Hindi ako ang hinahanap ng mga ito - pero sino?_

**Saturday, 01-21-16, 11:00 AM, Marquee Mall**

He wasn't sure how he ended up agreeing to accompany Angela, but there he was, running around the mall with her to look for a birthday gift for Tina. He wasn't even sure what  _exactly_ was going on between them, or if they were simply picking up where they left off in the past. But there they were, walking side by side, flitting from one shop to another.

They exchanged stories about each other's lives over lunch. She listened intently to everything that transpired since Goyong arrived last July. She seemed to be interested in the concept of dopplegangers and the way that both Goyong and Andres survived their deaths.

"So ibig mong sabihin madaming bayaning pakalat kalat sa Angeles?" she finally asked as he finished. "At yung iba sainyo parang superhero pa?"

"Hindi naman ako bayani," argued Joven. "Pero oo, parang ganun na nga. May, uh, superpowers sina Goyong at Ka Andres."

"Tapos  _you fight crime_ pa, ano? Ang cool niyo pala. Para kayong isang buong team ng mga Batman! Bakit kami hindi niyo isali?" she continued. "Marunong naman akong mag eskrima, saka pwedeng gamitin na smoke powder yung mikmik."

"Hindi naman sa ganun," he explained. "Siguro pag minsan nagkakataon lang na napapasabak kami sa mga away - at may mga supernatural na mga bagay na naghahanap samin."

"Dahil technically supernatural din kayo diba? At ako din." She smiled brightly at the last statement. "Joven, pangako mo sakin na hahayaan mo akong tumulong sa mga kung ano man yung mga mystery na sinusubukan niyong i-solve ha?"

He felt it again - the brief twinge of terror and regret and self blaming that always flared up in the past whenever he thought of how she died. He never could understand where it stemmed from. He suppressed the urge to be too protective of her, though. Times have changed and so have their circumstances. "Hindi naman problema yun. Pakiramdam ko nga mas badass ka pa kesa sakin." If his sister could fight, then so could she.

He felt an odd flash of cold on his back - as if someone was pouring icy water right down his spine. He fidgeted uncomfortably and looked around, aware that someone  _or something_ could be watching them. He raised a finger to his lips to silence Angela when he sensed her curiosity, hoping that he didn't startle her.

He saw Dolores Nable Jose sitting a small distance away, phone in hand, a small smirk on her face. Despite her pretty, doll like appearance, something felt sinister about her. Something just wasn't quite  _right._ Her eyes locked with his, and her smirk widened. He remembered Goyong's discomfort with her and he was sure that it wasn't about the fact that she was his old flame.

His mind felt hazy again -as if some odd voice whispered in his head, willing him to look away and forget the encounter. A thrill of fear struck him like a slap on the face when he realized that he experienced a similar sensation when he saw her in Manaoag. It was as if she had a dark power that came from a source that was  _radically_ different from that which fuelled Goyong and Andres' ressurections.

_Hindi siya imortal gaya ni Goyong at ni Ka Andres - and hindi rin siya anino... pero malakas ang pakiramdam ko na may kinalaman siya sa mga aninong ito. Dios mio, sana wala siyang sasaktan sa amin._

He resisted the haze in his mind and took a good look at her face, committing everything to memory so that he could discuss her with the rest of the team that night. He still felt unnerved by her appearance.

The haze seemed to disappear when she suddenly broke eye contact and stalked out of the food court.

_May masamang binabalak to. Tangina._


	27. Memories

_To his surprise, his new job was fairly simple and yet Quezon insisted upon paying him handsomely. He was simply there to record what truly happened in every meeting that his new employer was involved in, leaving him free most of the time to complete his new journals and in rewriting what he could remember of the war that most people now strove to forget._

_Not him, though. He kept his memories of the fallen alive in his mind - Luna and Paco, the Bernal brothers, Rusca, and even del Pilar. Despite the flaws that each and every one of them had, he supposed that they did what they believed was right... and died for it._

_He struck up a correspondence with both Adela and Vicente, who both fortunately survived the events of Tirad Pass. He was quite disappointed that the two of them led separate lives, though, as he hoped that they would eventually find their way into each other's arms. He supposed that quite a lot of things in life can never be controlled. He just wished the best for both of them and tried to keep up with the friendship that they offered, having resolved a long time ago to never to meddle in anyone's affairs unless they explicitly asked for it._

_He returned home two years later as Quezon headed off for America, as the country's new resident commissioner was not allowed to take the young journalist with him. The folks who whispered about his homecoming in Angeles bombarded him with questions of marriage, as everyone believed him to be a young widower. He deflected their queries with a smile and devoted his time to raising his son for the next seven years._

_He also used part of his savings to publish his journals. They contained vague truths on a good number of events that transpired and yet were accurate enough to be taken as true accounts of the war. He kept the memories alive in the best way he could, knowing that he would never be at peace until he did._

_He was summoned back to Manila upon Quezon's return to the country to serve the Senate. This time, he took his son - nicknamed Benito - with him, as his housemate Felisa had left for the north with her son two years ago, having been summoned by her estranged relatives._

_At least the next handful of years would be considerably more peaceful._

**Sunday, 01-22-16, 7:00 AM, Brgy. Pulung Bulo**

He hoped that he was not going mad. There was this persistent feeling that he was being watched by some kind of dark entity. There was this nagging feeling at the back of his head that Dolores Nable Jose was trying to mess with him and his friends - and that she wasn't just the regular school girl that she appeared to be.

"Akala ko ako lang yung nakapansin dun," Goyong said in relief when Joven finally told him about his suspicions. It was right after breakfast and the two of them were busy sweeping dead leaves off the garden. "Pumunta siya nung minsan sa cafe - nung nasa may Manaoag ka. Naramdaman ko din dun na parang hindi siya tao - at hindi rin katulad namin ni Ka Andres."

"Aswang, ganun?" Joven asked with a small wince.  _Pagkatapos ng lahat ng nangyari sa buong tropa, handa na akong maniwala sa kahit ano._

Goyong shook his head. "Hindi - parang mangkukulam, ganun. Alam mo kasi..." He paused and rubbed his arms. "Parang may powers siya, ganun. Ang alam ko kasi hindi ganyan ang mga kwento tungkol sa aswang."

"Mangkukulam, ganun?" Having such a conversation with a one hundred and forty year old general who survived being shot through the neck made everything plausible.  _Parang wala na talagang imposible sa mundo, ano?_ "Diba may mga powers sila?"

Goyong tapped his chin and nodded thoughtfully. "Possible pero  _tae,_ si Dolores! What if..." He shuddered. "Tangina what if siya rin yung Dolores ng 1899?"

"Naghihiganti dahil di na natuloy yung kasal niyo, ganun?" Joven asked, raising an eyebrow. Everyone knew that his friend probably jilted an entire batallion of women. "Eh diba ang dami mo namang iniwang babae, so anong point?"

"Baka mas malaking bagay yun para sakanya. Naiintindihan ko naman kasi masakit nga naman yung hindi mo makatuluyan yung pinangako sayo." Goyong leaned against his broom with a tired sigh. "Pero tangina parang hindi lang yun yung dahilan eh."

Joven nodded in understanding. Being jilted was too shallow to be a valid reason for Dolores Nable Jose to seek the entire team out and haunt them. Still, they had to be watchful.

**Monday, 01-23-16, 8:30 AM, Artikulo Uno Bookshop**

It was brilliant, the way that the Bernals came up with a name that would offer a window to the past and still remain catchy enough to make it work for their shop. Just reading the name sent a twinge of nostalgia down his gut and brought out all the bittersweet memories that he associated with the war.

At least the small passage at the side of the shop led right into their cafe so that their customers can easily access what they needed from both establishments. Honestly speaking, Joven quickly felt at home.

"Kukuha din naman kami ng mga working students para makapag day off din kami gaya niyo," Jose explained with a smile as he dusted the lone counter. For some reason, he looked out of place in the quaint bookshop despite the fact that he looked quite comfortable.

The glass door leading into the shop opened with nary a creak and that intern from the museum - Jose Bugallon - stepped in as the first customer of the day, clutching a bag of freshly baked  _pandesal._ He had a vacant smile on his face as he flitted through the shelves. He stopped right in front of a stack of books dealing with local mythology and superstitions and browsed through it while humming softly to himself.

"Sige, babalik na ako sa kabila," Joven finally said after a while. "Maglilinis pa kami bago magbukas."

As he passed by the very busy Bugallon, he noted that the boy seemed to be poring over books on witchcraft and superstitions. He wondered if the boy had anything to do with Dolores.

_Masyado siyang normal._

**Monday, 01-23-16, 9:15 AM, Tea-rad Pass**

He nearly jumped out of his skin when Angela arrived early - this time with his sister, Tina. Their brilliantly colored hair still never failed to turn heads as much as Jay's did. They sat by the bar - it seemed to be as customary to them as the small corner is to Nena - and Angela leaned toward Joven as she caught him staring.

"Hindi parin matangap ni Ate na may gentleman na tumulong sakanya nung minsan," she whispered urgently. "May snatcher kasi na umagaw ng bag niya, tapos tinulungan siya nung kuya sa daan. Hindi niya ata maprocess na kailangan niya ng tulong ng iba."

"Healthy yan," Goyong said glumly as he set down her order. There was a distant, sad glint in his eyes. "Pag minsan kailangan mong masampal ng katotohanan na tao ka lang, kahit gaano ka pa kagaling sa isang bagay."

Tina stared at him blankly, as if processing what he just said. Afraid that her temper would explode, Joven quickly gave Goyong a sharp look and shook his head. "Mukhang maaksyon yun ah," he said in his calmest and steadiest voice.

Tina nodded, the annoyed glare never leaving her eyes. "Oo, ganun na nga." Her gaze flickered to Goyong. "Kapatid mo ata yung tumulong sakin - Hulyano ba yun? Para kayong kambal eh."

"Si Julian?" Goyong winced. "Kamaganak ko siya." Well, that was close enough to the truth.

A shadow fell over them as someone strode to the bar and sat on Joven's other side. It was Bugallon, laden with the books that he probably purchased from the Bernals' shop. The cheerful smile on his face was gone, replaced by a worried look. He gave them a quick glance before looking down again. He barely even noticed it when Goyong placed a cup of strong, hot coffee right under his nose.

"Ayos ka lang ba?" Joven finally asked after a moment of deliberation.

Bugallon looked up at him and pursed his lips. It took him a while to answer as he preferred to slowly sip his coffee before finally speaking up. "Kuya, diba ikaw yung may ari ng cafe?" he asked quietly. "M-May gusto kasi akong itanong sayo, kung pwede sana somewhere private? May office ka ba o kahit anong..." He trailed off and shuddered.

"Meron." Joven felt an odd feeling of foreboding from the boy's words. He was sure that they held more weight than anyone else would expect. He put a hand on Bugallon's shoulder. "Tara, usap tayo."

The office was darker and gloomier especially after the bright lights and the activity in the cafe itself. Joven barely used it lately as he prefered to work on accounts and stocks in the presence of his friends. It definitely had the unkempt look of a somewhat abandoned room.

Bugallon fidgeted as he was directed to a comfortable enough seat. "K-Kuya," he began. He toyed with a pendant that looked like it was made from some kind of bone or tooth. "Naniniwala ka ba sa reincarnation?"

Joven felt himself going cold. Rusca once told him that Bugallon seemed to be the reincarnation of a young soldier whose death brought Luna to tears. "Naniniwala nga ako, bakit?"

"Kasi... reincarnation ata ako ng sundalo." Bugallon cringed at his own words, as if expecting himself to get berated.

"Reincarnation ako ng mismong original na Joven Hernando, san ka pa?" Joven felt himself shivering at his own words, though. He opened his desk drawer and rummaged for the antique picture frame that contained two very old pictures - one of that with Luna and his aides, and another with Goyong and his aides. He slid it across the table.

Bugallon picked it up and examined the picture. A small, fond smile played on his lips. "Lagi nilang pinagtatawanan si Kapitan Rusca nung umpisa pero asintado yan. Siya yung naging pinakamalapit sakin noon sa kampo."

"Talent ni Ed yun," Joven admitted.

"Si Koronel Roman naman, laging nagbibigay ng pagkain niya sa mga kawal. Di bale daw na siya yung magutom, wag lang sila." Bugallon grinned. "Naaalala ko, dati pa. Pero nung nakita ko kayo? Tangina parang out of the past talaga. At kasama niyo pa si Heneral del Pilar, ano?"

Joven nodded. "Nagkataon na nagkita kita lahat kami..." He winced. "Hindi lang kami - pati mga ibang taong nareincarnate din. Gaya ni..."

"...ni President Quezon?" Bugallon grinned. "Kuya, major ko ang history. At ano... gusto kong magspecialize sa pre-colonnial mythology at superstitions natin. Kaya naghahalughog ako tungkol sa reincarnation at kung naniwala dito yung mga ninuno natin."

Joven nodded. "Pero hindi lang yan yung reason bakit gusto mo akong kausapin in private."

"Hindi nga." Bugallon looked jumpy as he pulled out a small printed picture from his bag. "Alam kong ikaw lang yung hindi tatawa eh. Kahit sa Museo ayaw nilang maniwala na possibleng hindi lang technical fluke ito."

It was a slightly grainy CCTV image of a group of nursing students in uniform, apparently on some kind of visit to the museum. They a gaggle of girls laughing and joking with each other, but one stood out from the head of the group. It was as if someone superimposed a highly unpleasant face over a delicate, beautiful one, and her bloodshot eyes seemed to glow red as she stared at the camera with a quizzical look on her face.

The girl was Dolores Nable Jose.

_Holy shit na malagkit._

Joven carefully returned the picture to Bugallon, unable to keep his hands from shaking madly. "Pakiexplain naman ito."

"Wala, regular CCTV recording lang, kaso shet kakaiba talaga kasi eh." Bugallon grimaced as he tucked the picture back in his bag. "Hindi normal yun, diba?"

"Hindi nga normal." Joven was resigned to the fact that his voice trembled. After all they were discussing something that was  _definitely_ sinister. "Ano to, field trip ba?"

"Regular visitors lang." Bugallon said. "Nireresearch ko kung ano to eh. Kasi ayun nga... may mali. Maling mali."

"I feel you." The image was already burned in Joven's mind. "Hindi ko rin mapapaliwanag to pero salamat sa pagsabi ha? Medyo... may kilala din akong pinagaaralan yung mga to at baka makatulong din sakanya."

_Kailangang malaman ni Goyong to - hindi, kailangang malaman ng buong team Hijo de Puta. Pakiramdam ko talaga eh nasa panganib lahat kami._


	28. Eyes Open

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Joven begins to let go of the mysteries around him.

_Visiting his son on his wedding day felt like such a great idea at first - until the sudden pain of his past with Angela got triggered by the event. His son was still young - all of twenty one - and there he was, walking down the aisle with his blushing bride. They were all smiles, both of them. That could have been him and Angela years and years ago too._

_It hurt too much. He had to quietly slip away in the middle of the ceremony to deal with the old wounds that such a simple event opened up. He hated the way that the ghosts of the pasts returned to haunt him even after two decades. It just was not fair._

_More and more years passed, and he remained content with his job under Quezon, who steadily rose in position. The only regret he felt was the fact that he never was able to bring together Vicente Enriquez and Adela Reyes until the very end, as it seemed like someone had been intercepting the letters that Vicente had been asking him to send. He even saw Adela briefly a couple of times and she refused to talk about her former friend and colleague who had recently passed away._

_It all aggravated him to no end._

_His son sent him occassional letters from Angeles, but they were barely enough for him to catch up on the younger man's current life._

* * *

_The death of his eldest grandson, Lucio, came as a blow to him. It was announced just two months after visiting home. The child was at the peak of health and yet the five year old boy's long and bright future was cut short by the fact that a drunk soldier from Fort Stotsenberg had to pick on him during a visit to the marketplace._

_The boy's only crime was to cry at an inappropriate time, and he got a bullet in the face for it._

* * *

_He did not begrudge Quezon for his choice. Guards were posted around Joven day and night to prevent him from hurting himself, from lashing out upon his skin in grief. He knew it was unseemly, it was inappropriate, but everything hurt - everything was as bad as losing Angela._

_He couldn't understand why Quezon kept him around - him, the man who fought a losing war against fate, the man who could never walk away from misfortune after misfortune, the man who was followed by loss. There he was though, the once youthful journalist who had turned into a hopeless mess, spending nightly drinks with the powerful politician who regarded him as something akin to a brother. Drinking, truly, was all he could do to keep the demons and the darkness at bay. Talking did nothing. Weeping only summoned them._

_He wanted it all to end._

**Monday, 01-25-16, 7:45 PM, Brgy. Pulung Bulo**

Over dinner, he told the entire team about his conversation with Bugallon. He glossed over the boy's knowledge about his reincarnation, and interest in local myths and folklore. He explained about the CCTV image of Dolores Nable Jose, and how there was  _nothing_ normal about it. He described everything he could remember, blissfully aware that his mind did not feel hazy - unlike that encounter in the mall, and in Manaoag.

"Putangina, lalong sumasama yung kutob ko sakanya," growled Goyong, angrily stabbing his fork into dinner. "Gusto ko talagang malaman kung bakit may powers din siya eh - at kung siya din ba yung Dolores na iniwan ko nung 1899."

Jay winced at his words. "So hindi lang siya yung tipong ex mo na nanghahabol sayo, ganun?"

"Masyadong mababaw kung ganun," murmured Goyong. "Pero tangina, sigurado akong hindi normal yung powers nito - at iba yung pinanggalingan nung sakanya kesa sa mga powers namin ni Ka Andres."

Joven nodded grimly, stroking the stubble that was starting to form on his chin. "Good point. Sigurado nga akong hindi, um,  _benevolent forces_ ang source ng mga superpowers niya - at baka hindi man nga siya tao gaya niyo. Aswang siguro?"

"Possible." Nonong shuddered as he looked up from his thick school book. He had been buried nose-deep in schoolwork for the past couple of weeks, and his exhaustion was starting to show. He sniffed and rubbed his nose. "Pero tangina naman, natatakot ako sakanya kahit puro kwento niyo lang yung naririnig ko."

Vince nodded glumly from the other end of the table. "Tangina hindi na ako mabibigla kung manananggal man yan o ano pa."

Well, he did have a point. There was something eerie and simply  _unnatural_ about Dolores Nable Jose - and not in the good way that Goyong existed. She was not a normal human being - if she was human at all - in the worst possible way.

"Kakausapin ko ulit si Bugallon bukas," offered Joven. "Baka may mga nahagilap na siya sa research niya at di lang niya napansin." The boy had the air of an absent minded professor in the making, after all.

**Monday, 01-25-16, 11:45 PM, Brgy. Pulung Bulo**

He was probably going to spend another sleepless night in the living room with his laptop for company. He had almost forgotten about the mystery of Paul Ridel and his last missing journal. He would have ample time to locate it - Dolores seemed to be a more urgent matter at the moment. It looked like she was looking for something or someone in the team.

He had a feeling that she would not be pleased if he found out that his sister was now Goyong's girlfriend and the reincarnation of  _Poleng_ herself. Sure, Jay was more than capable of taking care of herself - as a matter of fact, she was one of the best when it comes to self defense - but facing supernatural forces might be beyond anyone in the team. They needed to know what they were up against and how to deal with it.

He couldn't be afraid. He didn't want to be afraid. He was a docile lamb no more.

"Nagpupuyat ka diyan tapos bukas wala ka sa sarili."

Paco padded softly down the stairs, a stack of lecture books in hand. It was almost time for the midterms and apparently he was already preparing for his students' exams. He set down his books on the center table and sat across from Joven, carefully arranging his pen and paper in front of him.

"Hindi pwedeng bulag tayo habang may binabalak si Dolores - pag hinabol niya yung isa sa atin, sigurado akong damay na tayong lahat.  _We protect our own,_ hindi ba?" Joven winced as he started to open up some websites on local witchcraft.

"Pag minsan hindi ko alam kung mahilig ka lang magoverthink o ano. Ikaw lang naman yung nagpupuyat ng ganyan sa atin," mused Paco. "Kahit nga si Goyong na hari ng overthinking medyo kalmado pa naman. Ayun nakatulog nga sa may pintuan ng kwarto."

Joven sighed. It seemed like Paco would discourage him from his research until he finally listened. At least he meant well. He would just have to look forward to meeting with Bugallon the next day.

**Tuesday, 01-26-16, 4:00 PM, Museo ning Angeles**

Bugallon was waiting for him in the main office yet again, his desk stacked with books this time. He also had piles of printouts which must have been part of his research too. He beamed widely as Joven let himself in and waved him over with his usual sunny energy.

"Kuya, grabe ka, naintriga ka rin ata sa picture na yun ah," he began.

"Ganun na nga at... ano kasi..." Joven stepped aside to let Goyong into the room. "Baka makatulong ka din sa amin."

He was honestly surprised with the fact that Goyong was willing to reveal his identity to Bugallon, though it wasn't exactly a bad thing. The boy general had truly changed from the reclusive leader to an emotionally open friend. Bugallon was hooked as the two men told him the story of everything that started in Tirad, and what they were up to - moving forward from the second of December the previous year. Joven had to admit to himself that it was fantastical, nigh unbelievable, and had the taste of the supernatural that the intern was most probably interested in.

To finish, Goyong took out the dagger from his backpack and slid the blade lightly across his palm, letting Bugallon see the shallow wound that momentarily appeared before the skin quickly started to knit back together. The boy's eyes widened - as if his years of belief in the supernatural that ran deeper than simple reincarnation had finally been affirmed.

"Itong babae dun sa picture, pwede mo bang ipakita sa akin?" Goyong finally asked after a moment of silence.

"O-Opo, H-Heneral!" Bugallon did a quick, nervous salute before rummaging through his desk drawer.

Joven found it difficult to stiffle his laughter at that. "Ang tagal ko nang hindi naririnig yan."

"Goyong nalang," Goyong insisted.

"Kuya Goyong." Bugallon raised his chin defiantly. "Baka gusto mong tawagin kitang tatay."

"Subukan mo lang, hijo." Goyong paused. "Mas gusto ko na yun kesa naman sa tawagin mo akong lolo."

Joven cleared his throat as he glanced at the picture that Bugallon presented to the two of them. He already saw the previous day and yet it never failed to give him the goosebumps.  _Sobrang daming mali dito kay Dolores eh. Taeng buhay naman ito._

Goyong winced as he looked at the image. "Pati dito parang nagiiba yung itsura niya ano?" He paused and regarded his two companions thoughtfully. "Hindi naman kasi siya ganyan dati pero nung talagang isang araw na pumunta siya sa cafe... Ilang beses ko na kasi siyang nakita - sa cafe, sa ospital - laging nagiiba yung mukha niya pag tumitig ako ng medyo matagal."

Joven fought back the tremors of fear that threatened to wrack his very being. "Ganito din ba? Yung original na magandang mukha niya at yung isang parang... bata rin pero hindi kagandahan."

"Tangina, masyadong tame yun. Nasty, brad. Nasty - parang hindi tao yung isang mukha at hindi ako nanlalait." Goyong pushed the picture away, looking nauseated. "Supernatural - pero di ko alam kung ano."

Bugallon nodded. For some reason, he was taking everything in an admirably calm manner. "Yun din ang sinabi ko sakanila pero si Ate Cat lang ang naniwala sa akin." He motioned to the stacks of references on his desk. "Gusto kong marinig yung lahat ng nalalaman niyo tungkol sa Dolores na ito para mas madaling magresearch."

Despite Goyong's  _familiarity_ with Dolores, Joven seemed to know more about the effects that the woman had with the people around her, especially him. Talking about her was still difficult. Despite learning to fend off what seemed to be one of her powers, there was still a lazy haze in his mind that made it difficult to think about some details about her - especially that encounter in Manaoag. He had to try his best, of course. The faster they learned more about Dolores, the better.

**Wednesday, 01-27-16, 1:15 AM, Brgy. Pulung Bulo**

_Huwag magtiwala sa Imperatris Dolorosa. Dolorosa. Dolores. Putangina._

He was reviewing the cryptic messages left behind by the enigmatic  _P_ who he was sure was the same as Paul Ridel when he came across his copy of the letter that Cat Garcia once unearthed in her archives. He could not recall who this  _P_ from his past life was though he was sure that it was the same one who was leaving messages to his present self. He had a niggling feeling that he was dealing with  _yet another immortal._

He felt his goosebumps rise as he came across that particular line in the letter. It seemed like he was also leaving hints about Dolores Nable Jose and the girl's true identity. Did he have something to do with her?

Something at the back of his head told him that his suspicions were correct. What bothered him was the fact that this part of his mind also told him that no matter how hard they tried to seek out Paul Ridel or figure out his identity, they would not find out until he decided to reveal everything himself.


	29. The Calendar

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Joven finally reaches some kind of closure.

_With President Quezon in exile, he returned to live with his now widowed son and infant grandson. They were two men and a boy who shared the same name, and an aura of quiet melancholy upon them. They did what they could to survive in the murky new world that they have been thrust in, oppressed in a way that the Spaniards and Americans could possibly never have imagined._

_Angeles was different after the Japanese have ravaged it. The cheery zest for life that permeated people from all walks of life was gone, smothered miserably by their new conquerors who were worse than the previous two combined._

_Everyone gathered around the highway as the prisoners of war - both Americans and Filipinos - passed the city on their march to the north. Children of both genders stood at the head of the considerable crowd, dressed in skirts which were utilized to conceal the soldiers who managed to escape their captors._

_Had Luna lived, had everyone who laid down their lives for the most futile reasons lived, things would have been different. Joven wasn't sure if it was for better or for worse, but everything would have been radically different._

* * *

_The proclamation of peace after three years of war left a bittersweet taste in his mouth. The town and the rest of the country were ravaged by all the battles that ocurred. Rebuilding would cost them a lot and would take a long time to complete. Nothing would ever be the same._

_Or maybe those were just the ramblings of an old, tired man._

_There was still one book to complete - his book on del Pilar and his adjudants. He knew enough on Adela and Vicente's fates to write about them despite the bitter taste they left on his mouth, but there was one other. He had to track down Julian del Pilar._

* * *

_It wasn't easy to locate his wife, but he did. He set off for Bulacan despite his son's protests, desperate to finish the last manuscript that he had left over from before the war._

_He found Cristina del Pilar in a house that used to have a blacksmith's forge installed near the garden. It had the same air as his home in Angeles - grand but empty where it mattered the most._

_She was still remarkably pretty despite her age - she was probably a good five years older than Joven - and quite spry. She welcomed him gracefully enough into her home, apologizing for the fact that all of her children were away at work._

_"Tumutulong din sila kahit papaano sa pagbangon ng Bulacan," she added as they finally reached the living room._

_"Ganoon din ang pinagkakaabalahan ng asawa ko sa Angeles," he agreed. "Ipagpaumanhin mo na ang pangaabala ko sainyo, Ginang del Pilar."_

_"Tina na lang." She smiled sadly at him. "Sigurado akong may kailangan ka sa asawa ko, Ginoong Hernando."_

_"Parang ganoon na nga." Joven explained about his manuscript, and his quest to write fairly about Gregorio and his adjudants. "Gusto ko lang malaman kung kamusta po ang asawa niyo pagkatapos ng giyera."_

_Tina stared at him with tired eyes. She told him of her husband's brief stint in the local government shortly after he returned from the war - having given up the post of brigadier general one week after receiving a field promotion upon the death of his brother. She told him of visiting a man named Julio Nakpil, a previous member of the Katipunan, who had second hand information on Poleng's burial site. She told him of her husband's disappearance shortly afterward._

_"Hindi ko alam kung hinanap niya ba ang libingan at napahamak, o kung may iba pang mas masamang nangyari sakanya." She defiantly refused to acknowledge the fact that he could have lived and started new life._

_Joven was inclined to believe her, though. Despite his faults, Julian didn't seem to be the type of man to run away from his wife and Bulacan itself. If there was one thing that the del Pilar brothers had in common, it was their love for their hometown._

_He profusely thanked Tina for her time and promised to tell her should he get news of her husband's fate. He checked his notes and realized that he actually had one more stop before finishing his manuscript. He had to seek out Julio Nakpil - if he still lived - and ask him about Poleng's grave._

**Friday, 01-29-16, 4:30 PM, Brgy. Pulung Bulo**

He was home alone on a Friday which was definitely typical of him. It wasn't that he was averse to hanging out, it was just that he wanted to take advantage of the silence. It might actually help him locate the last of his missing journals, which mostly contained a record of his stay with the del Pilar brigade.

He lurked in the basement, armed only with his phone, the knife he found at the beginning of the month, and his reflections. He had finally come to terms with the fact that no matter how hard he tried to defy everything thrown at him, there were some things that a lone man could never control.

It felt like he had grown up so much in the past month that seemed rife with contemplation on both his previous life and his present - and it wasn't such a bad thing. He knew that there would be answers that might be beyond his reach - such as Paul Ridel's identity, his missing memories, and maybe even the kind of creature that Dolores Nable Jose is.

 _Para akong humarap sa salamin noong mga nakaraang araw para malaman ko ata talaga kung sino na ako ngayon._ A smile lit up his face and he noted that his friends might have thought him mad if they were there with him at that moment.

He began to tug at some boxes labeled as old clothes, pulling them away from the wall. There was a tinkling sound - that of something shattering - and he jumped up in surprise. He peered at the space between the boxes and the wall and discovered a cracked mirror. Beside it was  _the last journal,_ battered but whole.

**Friday, 01-29-16, 8:30 PM, Brgy. Pulung Bulo**

He couldn't contain his excitement by the time that his sister arrived from her date with Goyong. He pulled Jay aside the moment that she finally set down her bag in the kitchen bar and held out the journal.

"Tignan mo," he said quickly. "Nahanap ko na."

Jay blinked, momentarily baffled, before a bright smile lit up on her face, breaking through the darkness that had been suffusing her lately. She reached out and let her fingers brush against the fragile leather cover before pulling away.  _"Osimap naman." Mabuti naman._

He smiled back and held the journal close to him. "Siguro kahit papano... may closure na ako." He may or may not be able to retrieve the small bits that were missing from his memories, but then again, they were from a long gone era.

She crossed her arms and frowned. "Alam mo, sa tingin ko may nakasulat din diyan - I mean, hindi ka naman ipapagtreasure hunt ng ganyan nung walang importanteng laman yung huling journal mo, hindi ba?"

"Siguro nga." He could almost remember most of what he wrote down on the journals, but he really can't recall what he recorded during a certain night. It was definitely worth checking. "Pero sana wala nang mabigat na laman ito."

She chuckled and pulled him into a quick hug like she always did when they were kids. "Kahit gaano man yan kabigat nandito naman kami, diba?"

He nodded. He knew that he could always rely on not just his sister but everyone else in the house. "Salamat, ha?"

"Bakit ka nagpapasalamat?" Jay raised an eyebrow at that. "Ginagawa lang naman natin yung dapat."

**Friday, 01-29-16, 10:00 PM, Brgy. Pulung Bulo**

He was lying alone in the living room couch when he finally found the page that should contain what he was looking for - the writings that he could not remember, no matter how hard he tried. He knew that he should be reading something important in there, but the lone page where it was supposed to be in was  _missing._

Someone ripped it off.

 _Si Paul Ridel ba ang kumuha dito?_ Just how important could a wartime journalist's ramblings be to him? As much as he was aware of, all he did in his journals was to write a record of his day to day activities and opinions on the people around him. There were some notes on military strategies being employed every now and then but those were also noted in his published work.

A small frown creased his face as he furiously searched for the page by carefully shaking the journal. All he came up with were two neatly folded letters - one addressed to Nena, and the other one to  _Poleng._

He tried to look for a missing page and came up with the two letters he both failed to send in his previous life. How could he have forgotten that he actually tucked them into a small pocket on the back cover of his journal? He had just been thinking of them while he was still searching in the basement.

He never got to send either letters because his own brother pretended to have burned them along with his journals. He failed his friend, he failed his cousin, he broke promises he spoke. He believed everything to be lost to ashes, all because Lorenzo Hernando  _lied_ to him that quiet November day in 1899. How different could his past and present be if he knew that they were never lost?

Everything just struck him then, despite having been made aware of his journals' survival since December. He steeled himself, trying to get a hold on his emotions for a few minutes. There was no use dwelling in the  _what ifs_ of the past. He will find what he lost in due time, he was sure of it. For now, the best thing to do was to keep moving forward - and maybe look for some hidden messages in his third journal.

**Bonus**

**Saturday, 01-30-16, 11:30 AM, Artikulo Uno Bookshop**

Jose tapped his counter desk in boredom, watching the entrance while trying hard not to listen to Manuel drone on and on to two the students who were applyingfor a part time job in their shop. It wasn't that his brother annoyed him or anything - Manuel was his hero since childhood, after all - it was just that his brother's calm, steady voice made his eyes droop in exhaustion. He had been up all night helping Etong to catalogue a few tricky shelves.

Well at least Joven tried to help him stay awake by dropping by with a cup of extra strong coffee. He wasn't really sure if someone from the cafe next door were trying to pull his leg or something as the drink left him shuddering from all the caffeine.

Someone stepped into the shop, and he looked up to see Catalina Garcia heading straight for the history section in a dreamy, distracted way. Her wavy hair hung loose to her shoulders, a small, blank smile playing on her lips as she browsed through their selection. She was still lovely and amazing, he was sure of that.

He was half torn between rising to his feet to help her out and maybe start a conversation or to simply stay and wait for her to approach. He remembered that she could be quite mercurial when she wanted to - she was almost as bad as Jay when she was not in the mood. In the end he decided to simply hover in his workspace, ready to help her out if needed. Not that she would probably ask for aid though. She was incredibly independent.

He wouldn't chicken out this time - he would approach her before she flounced out of the shop.

She headed for the counter with a couple of books regarding the Philippine Revolution. She inclined her head in greeting as she set them down on the countertop. "Mabuti pa kayo meron ng mga ito, pahirapan maghanap ng kopya sa mga mainstream bookstores."

"Trade secrets namin yan, Miss," he replied with his customary smile. His brother was good at looking for ways to stock up on rare books.

"Cat nalang," she replied, matching his smile with her own.

"Nice to meet you. Jose nga pala. Jose Bernal." He ran her purchases through his computer and counted her change carefully.

She didn't look like she recognized anything about him, though, which was such a shame. He wanted to hear more about her present life. "Nice to meet you din." She clutched the books close to her and dithered before motioning to the door. "Um, sige ha? May meeting pa kasi ako. See you around, Mr. Bernal."

He watched her leave with a vacant smile on his face. He wouldn't mind gambling with fate for the chance for him to reconnect with her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Holy cow, patapos na din ito? One more chapter and move on na tayo papunta kay Itay Paco <3


	30. Masaya

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Joven ends his story.

_He was old and tired by the time he finally located Julio Nakpil in Quiapo, Manila. It reeked of grandeur that somehow reminded Joven of his past._

_The former revolutionary was seated by a grand piano, playing a soft tune that needed no words to speak of both melancholy and nostalgia. He looked up as Joven approached though he kept playing the piano with his deft hands. He inclined his head to acknowledge the visitor._

_"Tama nga si Selong. Ikinagagalak kitang makilala, Ginoong Hernando." For someone who married a fellow revolutionary leader's widow, he sounded quite humble. He stopped playing after those words, letting the thoughtful music die out._

_"At ikinagagalak kitang makilala, Ginoong Nakpil." Joven smiled._

_Nakpil mirrored his smile so it had a hint of sadness on it. "Sa tingin ko'y marami kang katanungan - hindi tungkol sa akin, ngunit tungkol sa pinsan mong pinatay ng mga Amerikano."_

_Joven nodded grimly. "Pasensya na kung inabala kita."_

_Nakpil shook his head and chuckled. "Naiintindihan ko. Alam mo bang madami din akong mga sinugod noong hinahanap ko din ang katawan ni Andres? Sigurado akong may mga inabala akong mga pari at mga madre noong hinanap ko ang mga sagot sa likod ng pagkamatay ni Margarita." He paused and coughed. "Nagkataon lang na nakita daw ni Selong ang mga pangyayari sa likod ng pagkamatay ng pinsan mo." He paused again and this time, he chuckled in nigh disbelief. "Akalain mo nga naman ang mga nangyari kay Selong!"_

_"Selong... ang tiyo ni Gregorio?" Joven still remembered the man who broke him out of his detainment._

_"Oo. Ang dami niyang lihim." Nakpil's words were punctuated by yet another cough. "Sinabi niya sa akin na hindi na kayo magkikita kaya sa akin niya sinabi ang lugar ng puntod ni Poleng."_

* * *

_He was tired - so tired. The heaviness and cold that seddled in his bones shortly after his meeting with Julio Nakpil had grown into an odd kind of exhaustion that kept him mostly to his bed. He assumed that it was of old age, and yet his mind was still as clear as ever. He had an odd feeling that he would never get to find Poleng's grave. His time was almost up, he was sure of that. His son knew it. His newly wed grandson knew it._

_At least he knew where his favorite cousin was resting. Maybe they could meet again in the afterlife. And the general. He might meet up with the Bernals, Paco, and Rusca, hear their laughter again. Even the del Pilar brothers and Vicente didn't seem like bad ideas._

_And he would see Angela again._

_He closed his eyes to sleep that night and dreamed no more on the eve of his seventy eighth birthday._

**Friday, 01-29-16, 11:00 PM, Brgy. Pulung Bulo**

He was staying up late and no one was going to stop him. Rusca was snoring away on his bed on the other side of the room, having grown tired of forcing him to catch up on sleep. He didn't feel tired, after all, despite everyone's insistence that his lack of sleep was starting to show.

He had compiled all the messages he received over the course of his search for the three journals, hoping that they would somehow tell him what was on that missing page of the third one.

 _Alam ko kung saan siya nakahimlay._ Who was he talking about? Whose grave?  _Poleng's?_ Was this another person who came in contact with Marcelo del Pilar decades ago?

 _At tandaan niyo, hindi pa natapos sa Don Bonifacio ang problema niyo dahil may tatlo pa._ He was sure that this person was talking about yet more dopplegangers - and that the man they met in Manaoag was one of them.

 _Sa oras na mabasa niyo ito, nasa Angeles na ang ikalawang anino... Mag-iingat ka at n _asa Angeles na ang pangalawa._  _Well, there were four dopplegangers if he thought about it. The first was Andres Bonifacio's, which Goyong, Jay and Andres himself have already taken care of. There were three more at large, and the second one was most likely in the city already. Could he be the new murderer? Could he be the one who assaulted Jay in Balibago? If that was the case, at least he was thankful that they were warned twice. It was a dangerous creature.

He also found the message in the last journal. It was on the very last page, scribbled in cramped handwriting right after the last entry in it - the entry that Joven wrote about his odd encounter with Selong in Mabalacat.

_Pasensya na at may kinuha akong isang pahina. Kailangan ko kasing gamitin ito para maidala kayo ng ligtas sa libingan ni Poleng - lalo na't nagmamanman doon ang pangatlo. -Paul Ridel_

Joven nearly dropped his journal when he saw that.  _Holy shit na malagkit._

It was, indeed, lucky of him to not have dropped the journal, as he saw a hastily scribbled message on one of the margins.  _Tama nga pala kayo. Kailangan niyong magingat kay Binibining Dolores Nable Jose dahil hindi siya isang normal na tao. Siya ang pinakamakapangyarihang mangkukulam na namuhay bago pa man dumating ang mga Kastila dito._

If that wasn't as bad as finding out that your child was some kind of monster, then it was way, way, worse. Just thinking about Dolores' existence now sent terror wracking through his entire body. It wasn't a pleasant thought, knowing that the apparently hostile person who kept recently popping up everywhere was actually a  _witch._ Not just a witch, as a matter of fact, but an ancient witch who was older than their nation, older than the colony that would become their nation - and probably had something to do with the lurking dopplegangers. It was not a pretty thought.

Either way, he would do his best to stay vigilant and protect who he can - especially his sister.

**Saturday, 01-30-16, 11:00 AM, SM Clark**

It was a cloudy morning and yet that did not matter to him right then. It was as if he was walking right beside someone who was as brilliant as a sliver of sunlight - Angela. It wasn't a bad thing, not really.

He finally gave in to the temptation to reaach out and take her hand. She nearly jumped in surprise when he did, though she didn't seem angry. As a matter of fact, she appeared to be  _pleased._

"Sa tingin mo ba may pagasa akong maging forever mo?" he asked.

Angela blinked and stopped walking right in the middle of the mall. She stared at him with those wide eyes, framed by her bubblegum pink fringe. "Forever... mo?" She didn't sound angry or offended or anything close to that. As a matter of fact, her voice was tinged with childlike curiosity.

"Alam mo na - forever. Hindi naman kagaya ng Aldub - pabebe yung mga yun eh." He smiled, courage being spurred on by the fact that he let go of most inhibitions he set up around him. "Kung gusto mo nung tisod, salo, kiss na ginagagawa ni Goyong pwede rin naman."

Angela made a face before bursting into a fit of giggles. She whacked him lightly on the arm and resumed her walk. "Ikaw talaga, inaasar mo na ako eh!"

"Hindi, seryoso ako!" His eyes widened as he followed her, a goofy smile playing upon his lips. "Kung ayaw mo pa akong manligaw ok lang naman pero gusto ko lang malaman kung..."

"Kung may chance ka?" Angela cut him off and giggled yet again. It seemed like girls really did do that kind of thing. "Eh bakit mo pa tinatanong yun? Sa tingin mo kung wala, papayag akong magyaya kang lumabas?"

That threw him off guard. His smile widened as caught up to her near an ice cream stall. "So... meron nga?"

Her eyes glittered as she momentarily regarded him with an unusually thoughtful look on her face. "Meron. Kung ano man yung tayo noon edi ituloy nalang natin ngayon."

Yes, he was hooked - there was no denying that. Being in her presence drove him mad and he supposed it wasn't a bad thing. They lived in the present now, not in the highly repressed culture that they grew up with in the past. He also knew that she was right - they can simply pick up where they left off, just like Jay and Goyong did.

He held out his hand to her. "So itutuloy lang natin yung kung ano man yung iniwan natin noon? Gusto ko yan, at gusto din kita ."

"Gusto din kita." She grabbed his hand and pulled him into a quick kiss. She burst into a fit of giggles as she pulled away and dashed away again, not a care in the world that they were in the middle of a somewhat crowded mall. He paused to give her a head start before dashing right after her. It wasn't a bad thing, taking things slow.

_Siguro naman madami na kaming panahon ngayon para bumawi sa lahat ng pagkukulang namin dati._

**Bonus**

**Saturday, 01-30-16, 11:00 AM, Brgy. Pulung Bulo**

The morning was quite good, the clouds concealing the sky in such a way that she could actually spar in the backyard with Nena, who had come to visit and had actually mentioned that she actually took some martial arts lessons a few years ago.

"Kaya kong gamitan ng judo flip si Ed pag masyado siyang maingay," she was saying during a quick water break.

Jay nodded contemplatively. It was quite tempting to dish out pain to the men in the house whenever they acted like headless chickens, but she knew that it would never be worth the effort. "Hindi lang din halata pero may background din sila ng kuya ko sa martial arts."

Nena was about to reply when someone knocked on the gate. Jay raised an eyebrow - they weren't expecting any other visitors that day. She remembered her brother's quick words to her before he ran off to his date to Angela.

_Mangkukulam si Dolores at mukhang may problema siya sa Team Hijo de Puta._

She felt her goosebumps rise. She might simply be making the wrong assumptions but she was sure that she would never feel truly comfortable or  _safe_ until they found a way to take care of Dolores' threat. Despite her endless bravado and insistence that she was more than capable of fending for herself, she knew that no one stood a chance against someone with supernatural abilities.

She exchanged glances with Nena, whom she had briefed before their sparring session. She knew that she was probably overthinking just like her brother, but it was better to be safe than sorry. They went through the side passage to go around the house and to the side of the garden, peering as Goyong and Rusca made their way out of the house.

She glanced at the gate and immediately relaxed. There was no need for her to be so antsy, after all. Andres Bonifacio was standing outside with a petite, pretty woman with long, glossy haiir. Both of them were dressed smartly with similiar police uniforms.

"Huy, anong ginagawa niyo diyan?" Etong's voice made Jay nearly jump out of her skin. She realized that they were lurking right under the window to the Enriquez brothers' room.

"May bisita eh," Jay told him with her cheekiest grin.

"So feeling secret agent kayo diyan na nakikiusisa, ganun?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Gago mo rin." Jay snorted and pushed back some of her unruly hair. "Akala ko si Dolores."

His face darkened at that. "Pakshet. Oo nga."

They entire team - sans Joven, of course, as he was still out - were summoned to the living room, where Andres was politely refusing snacks. He introduced the woman that was accompanying him - Oryang de Jesus, his current girlfriend and the reincarnation of the woman who was once his wife.

"Yayayain ko sana kayo sa February 13 - kasal namin," he said. "Sa Baguio."

Well, at least Jay didn't have to look forward to fights, fights, and more fights in the coming week. It might even provide her with enough distractions from the quandary of her missing memories, her lost grave, and everything in between. They would be attending a wedding - a light flung right in the middle of brewing darkness.

**End**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wooh! Three down, 696969 more to go! Joke! Abangan niyo either bukas or sa Tuesday yung susunod na fic: Freefall ft tatay este Paco Roman!


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